Victoria Street

Deepa Bharath Police are looking for four men who grabbed and inappropriately touched three different women on separate occasions on the same stretch of Victoria Street over the last two weeks, officials said. All three incidents happened between the 500 and 600 blocks of Victoria Street, Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick said. The first attack occurred on New Year's Day at 1:50 a.m., he said. A woman was walking alone in the 600 block of Victoria when a man walked up from behind and pulled her into the driveway of an apartment complex, FitzPatrick said.

Marisa O'Neil Six months after a string of sexual assaults on Victoria Street, police are still working to solve the puzzling case. In each of the 10 assaults, one to three young men grabbed a woman from behind and groped her -- on one occasion, leaving a victim's 18-month-old son unattended in his stroller. The attacks all took place on Victoria Street between Placentia Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. They stopped in April just as suddenly as they had started in November of last year.

AREA 1 Placentia Avenue: A stolen vehicle was reported in the 2100 block at 12:54 a.m. Friday. West 19th Street: A person driving under the influence was reported in the 500 block at 1:10 p.m. Friday. Fairview Road: A person trespassing was reported in the 2600 block at 1:33 p.m. Friday. West 19th Street: An attempted theft was reported in the 600 block at 4:39 p.m. Friday. Canyon Drive: Suspicious circumstances were reported in the 2100 block at 6:08 p.m. Friday.

Second composite sketch released Costa Mesa police on Thursday released the composite sketch of another man wanted in connection with a series of assaults on Victoria Street since January. The man is said to be between 23 and 26 years of age, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-11, weighing about 180 pounds, with a shaved head, police said. On Wednesday, officials released a composite drawing of the man they believe attacked a 24-year-old woman Friday night near the intersection of Victoria and Miner streets.

Deepa Bharath Police suspect the three victims who came forward on Monday with assault allegations were attacked by the same group of men responsible for five other assaults in the Westside since December. Most of the women were walking alone and all but two of the eight reported assaults happened in broad daylight, Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick said. All of the women were reportedly grabbed as they were walking on Victoria Street and touched inappropriately.

Deepa Bharath Police on Wednesday dropped their case against a teenager arrested last week in connection with a groping incident at a 7-Eleven, caught on the store's surveillance tape, officials said. The 16-year-old whom officers arrested on May 6 was among the group of people caught on tape at the 7-Eleven at the corner of Victoria Street and Placentia Avenue, police said. Police also said a man on the tape, believed to have touched the same female customer, looked like one of the men wanted in connection with a series of assaults on Victoria Street since December.

Deepa Bharath A surveillance tape from a local convenience store, which captures a young man reaching under a customer's skirt, may help police find one of the men responsible for a series of assaults on the city's Westside, officials said. The woman, believed to be in her mid-20s, reported the groping to police Monday afternoon, shortly after it happened at the 7-Eleven at Victoria Street and Placentia Avenue, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick.

The victims of a multiple-car crash at 8:48 p.m. Friday on Victoria Street near Canyon Drive in Costa Mesa have been identified. Juan Alberto Romero-Figuera, 18; Julio Cesar-Sandoval Telles, 21; and Francisco Javier Rodriguez, 19, all of Costa Mesa, were pronounced dead at the scene, Costa Mesa Watch Commander Dale Birney said. “All of them died from blunt force trauma” as a result of the crash, Coroner Larry Esslinger said. “There was no decapitation.” The fourth victim is still being treated at Western Medical Center, Santa Ana, authorities said.

Four Costa Mesa City Council members had the good sense to move forward on a project to repave and rehabilitate old Newport Boulevard, Victoria Street, Adams Avenue, Wilson Street and Mendoza Drive. The first step: design plans, at a cost of $500,000. The hitch: The remainder of the project would be funded by the federal stimulus package working its way back to the House. So kudos to Allan Mansoor, Katrina Foley, Gary Monahan and Wendy Leece for their entirely appropriate votes.

Here's an item the commission will consider today. CONDO CONVERSION Owner Barry Saywitz wants to convert a 12-unit apartment complex he owns on Victoria Street to condos for sale. The complex is one of 12 pending projects that were grandfathered in to avoid a 45-day moratorium the City Council placed last week on condo conversions. Built in 1960, the building at 577 and 579 Victoria St. has 23 parking spaces, somewhat short of the 38 spots city code requires, though Saywitz plans to add three spaces.

AREA 1 Placentia Avenue: A stolen vehicle was reported in the 2100 block at 12:54 a.m. Friday. West 19th Street: A person driving under the influence was reported in the 500 block at 1:10 p.m. Friday. Fairview Road: A person trespassing was reported in the 2600 block at 1:33 p.m. Friday. West 19th Street: An attempted theft was reported in the 600 block at 4:39 p.m. Friday. Canyon Drive: Suspicious circumstances were reported in the 2100 block at 6:08 p.m. Friday.

The Costa Mesa Division Managers' Assn. may contribute almost 2% more into the state retirement fund if an agreement between the group and the city is passed during Tuesday's regular City Council meeting. Association members would begin paying an additional 1.949% to the California Public Employees Retirement System on April 8 and create a savings for the city of $35,000, according to a city staff report. In other council business, council members will consider a proposal to amend the recently established Costa Mesa Housing Authority bylaws.

Police continued the search Tuesday for two men they believe rammed another gardener's vehicle in Costa Mesa and possibly stole his lawn trimmer. A 42-year-old gardener told police he saw a 1990s Ford Explorer driving slowly next to him about 10:15 a.m. Monday along Gleneagles Terrace and Aviemore Terrace, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Phil Myers. He followed the Explorer and tried to block it, which is when he told police the suspects rammed his vehicle. The victim later noticed his lawn trimmer was missing.