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Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: Masked Men Loiter Near Hanna's, Target

Also, a man dangles his radio out of a window, and kids unplug holiday light displays.

Two callers were perplexed by the sight of a group of masked men hanging around Rancho Santa Margarita businesses Sunday evening.

The first caller noticed three men who appeared to be in their late teens, standing outside of Hanna’s Prime Steakhouse wearing ski masks. The men headed toward the left side of the building, according to the informant.

Thirty minutes later, a second informant saw two of the mask-wearing men hanging out in front of Target. They began to hop around, and they appeared high on drugs, according to the caller.

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

The first call came in around 9 p.m. on Sunday, and the second call came in around 9:30 p.m. Both calls originated from Santa Margarita Parkway and Avenida de las Flores.

Neighbor acts like a jerk

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A man said one of his neighbors deliberately holds his radio outside of one of his apartment windows, just to irritate him.

The call came in around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, from Via Amistosa.

Teens act like jerks

A Rancho Santa Margarita man said several youths were running around the neighborhood Friday night unplugging holiday lights on people’s residences. The man was afraid that the kids were going to begin stealing the lights.

The call came in around 7 p.m. on Friday, from Avenida de los Fundadores and Mohave Way.

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 December 14 to December 16.

Disturbance 8:04 p.m. Sunday, 30600 block of Santa Margarita Parkway. A McDonald’s employee said a man had passed out at a table where he had been sitting for more than two hours.

Assist Outside Agency 6:02 p.m. Sunday, 22100 block of El Paseo. A woman wanted to turn herself in to Special Investigations because she was wanted for violation of a court order, as well as lewd acts on a child.

Hit and Run Misdemeanor 6:05 p.m. Sunday, on Antonio Parkway and Alas del Paz. A woman in her car was hit by someone driving a dark vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle left the scene after the accident.

Traffic Accident 3:12 p.m. Sunday, on Antonio Parkway and Los Compadres. A caller said a car hit a bicyclist. The cyclist was taken to Mission Hospital with a possible leg fracture.

Illegal Peddling 10:23 a.m. Sunday, on Santa Margarita Parkway and Avenida de las Flores. An informant wanted deputies to check on a solicitor in front of Target because it seemed like he was not associated with a legitimate charity. The man was described as being in his forties, heavyset, and was wearing a Santa hat.

Citizen Assist 7:40 a.m. Sunday, 30300 block of Esperanza. A woman said her boyfriend had stolen her vehicle at knifepoint sometime during the previous day.

Disturbance 1:35 a.m. Sunday, on Plano Trabuco Road and Alas de Paz. A caller said an intoxicated man was trying to fight people in a bar, before punching his vehicle. The vehicle was not damaged.

Suspicious Person in Vehicle 12:46 a.m. Sunday, 22800 block of Avenida Empresa. An informant said two women and one man were smoking marijuana in a black Toyota sedan.

Disturbance—Auto Involved 1:43 p.m. Saturday, on Via Magnolia. A caller complained that a neighbor was revving the engine of a vehicle he was working on in his driveway.

Disturbance 5:31 p.m. Friday, on Colorido. An informant said a man was soliciting aggressively.

Illegal Peddling 3:02 p.m. Friday, on Avenida de las Flores and Santa Margarita Parkway. A caller said a woman was holding up stuffed animals at the parking lot entrance to Lowe's and Wendy’s, causing a traffic jam.

Suspicious Person in Vehicle 3:01 p.m. Friday, 23600 block of Antonio Parkway. A caller said a man was sitting in a white Jeep parked outside of Serra Catholic school. The man ended up being a father whose Jeep had broken down while waiting to pick up his son.

Petty Theft Report 11:18 a.m. Friday, on Brisa del Lago. A woman said someone had stolen money and jewelry from her residence.

Assist Outside Agency 2:40 a.m. Friday, on Atherton Drive and Normandy Court. Animal Control needed assistance with a deer that had been attacked by a mountain lion. The deer was in the street, and the informant was unsure if the mountain lion was hiding in a nearby bush.

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.

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