Crime & Safety

Crime: It Shouldn't Be Fishy, It Just Looks That Way

Also, a bounce house wears out its welcome, there's something creepy behind the video camera, and an unknown secret admirer.

Common behavior shouldn't look suspicious, but for some reason, it does. At least, it did this time to this particular resident.

Take the incident Thursday from the blotter of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

An informant reported a man in his late 40s with an infant in a stroller at Via Ricardo and Aliento.

Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The informant noticed the man kept putting his hand into the stroller, and the informant was worried about the welfare of the child.

The informant also noticed the man was drinking out of a disposable red cup.

Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was unclear if the man was saying "coochie-coochie coo" or some variation while reaching inside the stroller.

The call was made to police services on Thursday, 1:02 p.m.

Too much bouncy fun

A caller contacted the OCSD because a bounce house was in the street and there were children inside. It was a safety hazard, according to the caller, because night had fallen and it was dark.

The call was made Friday, 6:23 p.m., from La Sordina.

Viewed with suspicion

A woman called OCSD to complain about a neighbor who was videotaping she and her kids while they were playing in the garage.

The call was made Friday, 2:32 p.m., from the 200 block of Montana del Lago, which has two men who are registered sex offenders living on the street.

Maybe somebody wants a date?

A woman called on police service to report that someone left a card, a six-pack of beer and a pizza on her doorstep and she doesn't know who it is.

The call was made Thursday, 8:45 p.m., from the 400 block of Sable.

The following is a summary report of calls from Rancho Santa Margarita, Trabuco Canyon, Coto de Caza and Las Flores to the Orange County Sheriff's Department on Feb. 21-22, 2013.

Disturbance—music or party, Friday, 8:23 p.m., from Via Solaz. A caller indicated a female was drunk and being too loud, and wa also concerned about children that live at the residence.

Fireworks violation, Friday, 7:34 p.m., 21000 block of Rancho Trabuco. Some subjects were setting off fireworks at Melinda Heights Elementary School.

Welfare check, Friday, 6:14 p.m., from 22700 block of El Prado. A caller wanted deputies to check on her son-in-law, who was at Mission Hospital with the caller's daughter who was undergoing drug treatment. The son-in-law also is in need of help, according to the woman, and he was not responding to calls from the caller.

Assist outside agency, Friday, 1:46 p.m., from Espolon. Deputies were called to assist in a search of a home because a parolee was suspected of using heroin.

Disturbance, Friday, 1:06 p.m., 29900 block of Aventura. The El Fenix Carniceria was the site of a post-lunch disturbance when a woman made a scene while searching for her ex-husband, whom she believed worked there.

Welfare check, Thursday, 9:39 p.m., from Empresa and Santa Margarita Parkway. A caller wanted someone to check on a man who was stumbling on the road and leaning against a fire hydrant. The caller was concerned he was on drugs. A second caller also reported the man, described as being in his 20s, reporting the man had moved down the street to Aventura. He was eventually detained in front of Daily's Sports Grill and taken home.

Annoying phone call, Thursday, 9:20 p.m., from Apache Drive. A woman reported she's been receiving suspicious phone calls from an unknown male for the past few weeks.

Disturbance, Thursday, 7:51 p.m., 300 block of Sable. A woman reports that a neighbor was pounding on the woman's door and slamming the front gate, and that it's an ongoing problem.

Robbery—silent alarm, Thursday, 6:30 p.m., 30600 bkock of Santa Margarita Parkway. An alarm went off inside the Wells Fargo Bank about 30 minutes after the branch closed. Deputies checked the location and made the all clear call.

Suspicious persons/circumstances, Thursday, 5:57 p.m., on Amistosa. A caller reported seeing two male juveniles on skateboards who were possibly casing vehicles. They were last seen walking through the buildings.

Citizen assist, Thursday, 4:56 p.m., on Northampton Place. A man wanted to file a complaint against a woman who was making harassing phone calls to him after he learned she filed a complaint against him for making harassing phone calls to her.

Disturbance, Thursday, 2:54 p.m., 19800 block of Meadow Ridge. A man and woman were yelling at each other while going in and out of the apartment.

Disturbance, Thursday, 12:22 p.m., on Via Cuidado. Two female neighbors got in a verbal altercation with each other. They returned to their homes afterward.

These reports were culled from the Orange County Sheriff's website. Not all facts in each report are made public; the outcome of the report, as well as the facts, may differ from the original blotter item. There should be no assumption of guilt based on this limited information.


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