Police Blotter: Burglar Lifts Big Box Items from Garage

The thief who has been knocking off Rancho Santa Margarita residences and has shown a penchant for taking jewelry from the owners may not be the same person who burglarized a home on Via Barcelona on Tuesday.

Still, someone got away with some big ticket items. Or maybe more precise, big box items.

A woman returned to her residence Tuesday evening to find her garage door wide open, according to a call made to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Although the burglar didn't enter her home, he—or them—still managed to get away with one of the prize items in her garage. The thief took her washing machine and dryer.

"It's been a problem the last 30 days in all of South Orange County," said Lt. Brian Schmutz, chief of police services in Rancho Santa Margarita. "All south county cities are working together regionally to stop the crimes and perpetrators."

There will be a community meeting on Nov. 27 at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center to discuss the burglaries and what residents can do to be safer and help protect their property.

The call about the missing appliances was made Tuesday, 5:52 p.m.

Pitbull loose in front of elementary school

An informant from Cielo Vista Elementary spotted a brown and white pitbull running around in front of the school Tuesday morning. Although the dog didn’t seem to be vicious, the caller was concerned because the children were soon to be dismissed from school.

The call came in around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, from the 21800 block of Avenida de los Fundadores.

Detention was never like this

An informant saw two people having sex in a grayish-colored Infiniti that was parked in front of Trabuco Mesa Elementary School.

The call was made Monday, 6:36 p.m., from the 21300 block of Las Flores.

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The following is a summary report of calls from Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Trabuco Canyon and Las Flores to the Orange County Sheriff's Department from November 12 to November 14.

Assist Outside Agency 9:49 p.m. Wednesday, on Plano Trabuco Road and Trabuco Canyon Road. The Orange County Fire Authority needed help with a 21-year-old man, who was being held by his parents while having a nervous breakdown.

Disturbance 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, 21300 block of Stonetower Drive. A man said his intoxicated wife was aggressive with him before running away.

Citizen Assist 5:52 p.m. Wednesday, on Via Amistosa. A woman said a neighbor had been harassing her.

Suspicious Person in Vehicle 3:18 p.m. Wednesday, on Boxthorn and Desert Thorn. A caller said a suspicious person was going door-to-door attempting to sell fertilizer.

Citizen Assist 1:29 p.m. Wednesday, 22100 block of El Paseo. A woman said someone had been following her while she was walking.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 10:19 a.m. Wednesday, on Santa Margarita Parkway and the 241 Toll Road. A woman thought a gas pump at Shell had been tampered with. The attendant confirmed that it was just processing slowly.

Disturbance 8:26 a.m. Wednesday, on Via Amistosa. An informant saw a man sleeping in the bushes.

Vandalism in Progress 4:15 p.m. Monday, on Osoberry Street. A man said someone had thrown an object through his living room window.

You can read about more incidents on the Orange County Sheriff's Department blotter.

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