Thief

A Los Angeles man convicted in June for his involvement in an international identity theft scheme was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison, authorities said Wednesday. The man was arrested in 2011 by Costa Mesa police at South Coast Plaza. Doren Harold Ward, 37, used credit cards primarily of elderly victims and with the help of British co-conspirators had new credit cards sent to mail drops around Southern California, according to the U.S. attorney's office. After the credit cards were obtained, Ward and others bought luxury goods from stores, including Louis Vuitton, Ben Bridge Jeweler and Geary's in Beverly Hills.

Costa Mesa City Council candidate Sue Lester helped foil a burglary over the weekend when she watched a man allegedly try to steal a pair of bicycles, police said. Lester said she was walking her dog in the 1500 block of East Mesa Verde Drive on Saturday afternoon when she saw a man surveying an apartment complex as he aimlessly walked through. Then he stopped under a stairwell and started tugging on two bicycles chained there, she said. "I was literally watching him from across the street doing this," she said.

A Newport Beach resident accused of stealing residents' Christmas presents off their doorsteps spent Thursday night in the Orange County Sheriff's Department jail, according to booking records with the agency. Melanie Kathleen Astin, 42, was arrested by Newport Beach on Thursday after officers conducted surveillance in the neighborhood of Fullerton and El Modena avenues, according to police reports. Officers said Astin allegedly followed a United Parcel Service driver around the neighborhood, then would steal the packages after they were dropped off on different doorsteps.

SOUTH COAST PLAZA — Costa Mesa police are looking for a man who reportedly snatched a Walnut woman's purse in the Nordstrom parking lot at South Coast Plaza on Friday morning. When the would-be thief grabbed Mariel F. Punsalan's purse around 11:40 a.m. Friday, the 27-year-old woman took off after him, yelling so she could get the attention of people around her. "I just screamed and made a commotion so hopefully people would help me," she said as a member of the Costa Mesa Crime Scene Investigation team gathered evidence near Sunflower Avenue and Plaza Drive.

Deepa Bharath NEWPORT BEACH -- Police are looking for a woman suspected of pilfering unattended purses and wallets, mostly in local bars and restaurants over the last six months. The thefts have been happening on a regular basis, said Newport Beach Police Det. Darcy Andelin. "We've had at least a couple a week," he said. "It's been a continual problem." The woman, who is described as 5-foot-2 with light-colored hair, was last seen Dec. 6 on a security camera recording at Robinsons-May in Fashion Island, police said.

Deirdre Newman A total stranger made Kira Hurst's Mother's Day one to remember. Hurst had biked down to the river jetties between Newport and Huntington beaches on the bike trail with her two sons Sunday afternoon. She was on a girls' beach cruiser with a third wheel that her 5-year-old son, Ryan, was pedaling. Her 7-year-old, Kyle, was riding a bike he had gotten six months ago for his birthday. When they got down to the jetties, they parked their bikes on the sand about 30 feet from the bike trail and headed toward the shore.

Newport Beach police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who has been stealing women’s purses when they visit a local cemetery. Police said the thief, described as a Latino between 40 and 50 years old, 5-foot-10, 230 pounds with a heavy build, mustache and dark hair, has committed at least eight thefts at the Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach between January 2008 and November 2009. Authorities said he targets women who leave their purses inside their cars and leave their car doors unlocked.

COSTA MESA Monrovia Avenue: Two men took a racing bike worth $600 from inside a home in the 1900 block at about 7 p.m. Aug. 29. They rode away on bikes of their own while pushing along their new acquisition, according to a neighbor who witnessed the crime. Whittier Avenue: A thief pried the lock off a shed in the 1800 block some time between the evening of Aug. 28 and the morning of Aug. 29 and heisted a number of tools. The perpetrator somehow walked away with an air compressor, an electric drill, a Skil saw and other assorted items.

A Costa Mesa man who was arrested Friday night on suspicion of vandalism and petty theft after he reportedly ran into Condom Revolution on Newport Boulevard and stole a sex toy, is also now suspected of giving false identification to police officers at the scene, Lt. Dale Birney said. Costa Mesa Police identified the suspect as Mijelanjel Castillo, 22, when he was booked into Costa Mesa Jail on Friday night. It was found he also had two warrants out for his arrest, Birney said.

A Los Angeles man convicted in June for his involvement in an international identity theft scheme was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison, authorities said Wednesday. The man was arrested in 2011 by Costa Mesa police at South Coast Plaza. Doren Harold Ward, 37, used credit cards primarily of elderly victims and with the help of British co-conspirators had new credit cards sent to mail drops around Southern California, according to the U.S. attorney's office. After the credit cards were obtained, Ward and others bought luxury goods from stores, including Louis Vuitton, Ben Bridge Jeweler and Geary's in Beverly Hills.

A man jumped into a Mercedes while its owner was helping friends unload luggage late Monday night - then drove away while witnesses watched in disbelief, a witness said. “He was walking toward us on the sidewalk, coming up from ocean, and began going into street, which I thought was just crossing street,” a witness said in a message. “And then all of the sudden he jumped into our friend's car and drove off.” The incident occurred at 11:55 p.m. Monday in the 200 block of Marguerite Avenue, according to online police logs.

Costa Mesa City Council candidate Sue Lester helped foil a burglary over the weekend when she watched a man allegedly try to steal a pair of bicycles, police said. Lester said she was walking her dog in the 1500 block of East Mesa Verde Drive on Saturday afternoon when she saw a man surveying an apartment complex as he aimlessly walked through. Then he stopped under a stairwell and started tugging on two bicycles chained there, she said. "I was literally watching him from across the street doing this," she said.

Newport Beach police have arrested a Fullerton man they believe was spraying graffiti on a school playground before fleeing on a stolen bicycle, authorities said Tuesday. Erik Bahena, 20, was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly spray painting a wall at Newport Elementary School. Bahena allegedly stole a bike in his attempt to flee from police, who were aided by Huntington Beach's police helicopter. He was arrested at Ninth Street and West Bay Avenue, about half a mile from the Balboa Peninsula school, police said.

A Newport Beach resident accused of stealing residents' Christmas presents off their doorsteps spent Thursday night in the Orange County Sheriff's Department jail, according to booking records with the agency. Melanie Kathleen Astin, 42, was arrested by Newport Beach on Thursday after officers conducted surveillance in the neighborhood of Fullerton and El Modena avenues, according to police reports. Officers said Astin allegedly followed a United Parcel Service driver around the neighborhood, then would steal the packages after they were dropped off on different doorsteps.

This isn’t the first time that someone rode “Trigger” the horse off into the sunset. For what store owners are saying is probably the fourth or fifth time, the iconic fiberglass horse in front of the Feed Barn in Costa Mesa — nicknamed “Trigger” by customers — has been stolen. The 6-foot-tall, 8-foot-long Palomino-colored steed was secured in concrete with rebar in his hooves, fastening him to the parking lot foundation in front of the pet food store at 2300 Newport Blvd.

Chris Columbus has directed two Harry Potter films. He now brings to the screen another character from a popular set of magical books for younger readers. “The Lightning Thief” is the first book in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. Centered in Greek mythology, the story covers Percy coming of age as he discovers his true identity as a demigod and son of Poseidon. Logan Lerman does a fine job playing the juvenile super hero in the manner of Tobey Maguire’s “Spiderman.

Newport Beach police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who has been stealing women’s purses when they visit a local cemetery. Police said the thief, described as a Latino between 40 and 50 years old, 5-foot-10, 230 pounds with a heavy build, mustache and dark hair, has committed at least eight thefts at the Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach between January 2008 and November 2009. Authorities said he targets women who leave their purses inside their cars and leave their car doors unlocked.

Police are investigating more than a dozen burglaries at three Newport Beach office complexes over the weekend. By Monday morning, the calls came pouring in to the Newport Beach Police Department about burglaries at 180 Newport Center Drive, 1600 Dove St. and 3919 Westerly Place. At least seven businesses at the Newport Center Drive location were burglarized. The building houses several health and plastic surgery businesses. It was not clear late Monday what had been stolen or how the burglar, or burglars, got into the offices there, said Lt. Craig Fox. So far, five businesses at 1600 Dove St. have reported stolen property.

Scott Miller seemed resigned to his fate when he heard footsteps behind him, as he walked down a dark alley with Costa Mesa white supremacist Billy Joe Johnson late on the night of March 8, 2002, a former gang member told jurors Thursday. Two members of the Public Enemy Number One gang, also known as PEN1, were waiting there to shoot Miller in the back of the head with a 9-millimeter handgun, former white supremacist gang member Donald McLaughlan testified on the second day of Johnson’s trial in Orange County Superior Court.