Police Blotter: Road Rage and Roundhouses

Hard to know who won based on the police report—the sedan or the pickup—but a road rage incident in Rancho Santa Margarita Wednesday evening led to blows between the drivers of two automobiles in what appeared to be a fierce roadside battle.

According to a call made to the Orange County Sheriff Dept., a witness saw two men get out of their vehicles and yell at each other on Buena Suerte.

The fight soon escalated and became physical as the men began throwing punches at each other. After coming to blows, the combatants ended up on the ground rolling around as they continued their struggle with each other.

Then, the two men returned to their vechicles—a white sedan and a blue Toyota pickup truck—and drove away. They were last seen driving down Buena Suerte toward Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway.

The call came in Wednesday, about 7 p.m., from Santa Margarita Parkway and Buena Suerte.

Intoxicated woman, passed out, drives away on wrong side of street

A man saw a woman who was passed out at the wheel of her BMW on Avenida de las Flores in Rancho Santa Margarita early Thursday morning. When he approached her to inform her that he was going to notify the police, the woman woke up and sped away, driving on the wrong side of the road, toward Santa Margarita Parkway.

The man caught up to the woman’s vehicle a few minutes later, finding the BMW idling at a green light before driving away again on the wrong side of the street. The caller was riding alongside her in his Toyota Corolla, trying to warn oncoming traffic so no one would get hit.

Deputies caught up to the 48-year-old woman, Gilda Pearson, and arrested her for having a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit. She was cited and released from the Intake Release Center.

The call came in around 1 a.m. on Thursday, from Avenida de Las Flores and Via Petalos.

Man wakes up to the sounds of a screaming "bird"

A Rancho Santa Margarita resident woke up early Wedneasday morning to the sound of birds early Wednesday morning—or so he thought. The caller soon realized that the noises he had heard were coming from a man at a nearby park, who was screaming loudly, trying to mimic a bird.

The call came in around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, from Buena Suerte and Las Especias.

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 October 4 to October 6.

Keep the Peace 8:15 p.m. Thursday, on Via Amistosa. A woman was in a dispute with her neighbor about money.

Disturbance 5:02 p.m. Thursday, on El Prisma. A caller’s 12-year-old son had been shot by youths firing BB guns.

Traffic Accident 3:26 a.m. Thursday, on Antonio Parkway and Santa Margarita Parkway. An informant saw a white sedan crash into the Rancho Santa Margarita sign, located in the center divider. The caller said the driver was on a cell phone, screaming hysterically, but seemed to be injured. An ambulance arrived and transported the driver to Mission Hospital. Deputies informed the city that they would need to pick up a large cinder block that was blocking the road.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 1:52 a.m. Thursday, on Mira Mesa. A caller saw a man try to open doors on several vehicles and nearby residences.

Hit and Run Felony 10:21 p.m. Wednesday, on Alicia Parkway and Santa Margarita Parkway. A caller was hit by a Lexus SUV and complained about having leg pain after the incident. The driver of the SUV left the scene after the incident.

Pedestrian Check 7:03 p.m. Wednesday, on Santa Margarita Parkway and Plano Trabuco Road. Deputies arrested a 23-year old man who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He is being held without bail at the Central Mens Jail.

Disturbance 6:19 p.m. Wednesday, on Calimba and Tijeras Creek. A caller complained about a group of youths, who were riding skim-boards down a slope at the Tijeras Creek Golf Course.

Suspicious Person in Vehicle 1:05 p.m. Wednesday, on Santa Sophia. A man said his wife saw two people snort something through their noses while sitting in a parked car.

Assault 10:08 a.m. Wednesday, on Tesoro Creek Road. A Tesoro High School teacher suffered a head injury after being assaulted by a 15-year-old autistic student. A paramedic arrived on the scene to treat the teacher’s injuries.

Citizen Assist 7:32 p.m. Tuesday, 22100 block of El Paseo. A man wanted to speak to a deputy about how a teacher punished his daughter.

Disturbance 4:32 p.m. Tuesday, 100 block of Via Contento. A woman said her daughter and her husband were arguing.

Keep the Peace 3:56 p.m. Tuesday, on Van Gogh Way. A caller said he called a plumber to check a leak in his residence, but he didn’t realize the plumber would try to charge him $300 for this service.

Citizen Assist 7:16 a.m. Tuesday, 100 block of Sable. A woman said someone had let the air out of one of her tires.

Disturbance 4:02 a.m. Tuesday, on Via Cuidado. An informant heard a man trying to force a woman to get into his car.

Assist Outside Agency 12:52 a.m. Tuesday, on Antonio Parkway and Meandering Trail. Animal Control said a deer that was hit by a vehicle was clinging to life in the center lane of Antonio Parkway. They called back later to report that the deer had died.

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