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Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: Pool of Blood Doesn't Taste Like Murder

Also, vandals smash landscaping lights around RSM.

A woman's suspicion was raised on Friday morning by a suspicious pool of blood in front of a residence on her street.

She had been to the residence the previous evening, but when she saw the blood on the sidewalk at 8 a.m., it appeared to be fresh and wet. The woman called the Orange County Sheriff to advise them of her concerns.

Deputies arrived and surveyed the crime scene. They determined that the pool of blood was, in fact, some type of jam or jelly. 

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

The call came in around 9:30 a.m. on Friday from San Vicente.

Vandals smash landscaping lights at RSM residences

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

Four Rancho Santa Margarita residents experienced vandalism to their property Monday morning and early afternoon. The damage consisted of smashed gardening and landscaping lights.

All of the calls came in on Monday. The first call came in around 9 a.m., from Los Platillos. The second call came in around 10:45 a.m, from Via Trompeta. The third call came in around 11:15 a.m., from Ganadero. The fourth call came in around 2:45 p.m., from Rancho Trabuco.

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 14 to October 17.

Vandalism Report 5:34 p.m. Monday, on Radiance Lane. A man said someone had thrown a rock through his master bedroom window, breaking one of the panes of the dual-pane window.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 9:26 p.m. Monday, 100 block of Via Serena. A man said there was a lot of blood coming from under the doorway of a nearby apartment. The man said an unfamiliar man came up to him a few  minutes later, trying to assure him that everything was OK. The man claimed that the paramedics were coming, but he hadn’t seen any ambulances. The Orange County Fire Authority confirmed that they were out at the unit earlier, because a 20-year-old woman had lacerations on her ankle. The woman had been transported to Mission Hospital.

Drunk in Public 2:44 p.m. Monday, 30400 block of Avenida de Las Flores. An informant said a 55-year-old woman had passed out at the bar inside Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria, and was now being disorderly outside. Deputies detained the woman on the patio, and one of her friends picked her up.

Citizen Assist 9:23 a.m. Monday, on Antonio Parkway and La Promesa. A man said his ex-girlfriend was stalking him and his wife’s family on a blog.

Disturbance 10:59 p.m. Sunday, on Buena Suerte and La Miranda. A caller said a group of people in a Ford were yelling and acting “dumb” in the McDonald’s drive-through line.

Family Dispute 9:17 p.m. Sunday, 31800 block of Joshua Drive. A woman said her father and her uncle, who had both been drinking, were fighting in the living room. Deputies arrived and arrested a 39-year-old man, who is being held on $25,000 bail at the Central Mens Jail.

Disturbance 4:08 p.m. Sunday, 22400 block of Antonio Parkway. A caller said an intoxicated man was being aggressive with Ballpark Pizza Team employees. He then went outside and began arguing with .

Welfare Check 1:55 p.m. Sunday, on Antonio Parkway and Coto de Caza Drive. A caller said a woman was walking through the Pavillions parking lot with a 2-year-old child begging for money.

Traffic Stop 12:01 a.m. Sunday, on Antonio Parkway and the 241 toll road. Deputies arrested a 32-year-old man, who was released after posting bond from the Intake Release Center.

Citizen Assist 10:44 p.m. Saturday, on Cascada. A 12-year-old boy said his friend’s parents dropped him off at home, but his mother was not home, nor was she returning his calls. His father was over an hour away, and the boy said he was locked outside. The child was reunited with his parents an hour later.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 7:52 p.m. Saturday, on Avenida de las Flores and Buena Suerte. A caller said a man jumped out of the bushes and chased a group of kids, who were playing soccer at Monte Vista park.

Shots Heard 6:55 p.m. Saturday, on Via Onagro. A caller heard several shots or fireworks coming from a nearby street.

Traffic Stop 2:39 p.m. Saturday, on Santa Margarita Parkway and Alma Aldea. Deputies arrested a 37-year-old man, who is being held without bail at the Central Mens Jail.

Traffic Hazard 11:55 a.m. Saturday, on Via de la Mesa. A caller said someone keeps putting signs and cones in front of her home. The woman said she moves them every day, but someone continues to put them back.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 1:04 a.m. Saturday, on El Toro Road and Ridgeline Road. A woman wanted deputies to look for a man who had tapped on her car’s windshield while it was stopped. The man wanted her to call 911.

Disturbance 10:39 p.m. Friday, on Azalea and Hibiscus. A caller said a group of youths were laying in the street at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Suspicious Person/Circumstances 10:03 p.m. Friday, 30000 block of Santa Margarita Parkway. A caller said a man and a teen-aged boy jumped the fence into the Kindercare parking lot. One of them started talking on a cell phone.

Disturbance 7:52 p.m. Friday, 200 block of Aliento. A caller said a group of people were being loud while drinking in a parking lot. The suspects then began driving a motorcycle and a golf court through the complex. Deputies detained seven individuals before releasing them.

Citizen Assist 8:59 a.m. Friday, 22100 block of El Paseo. A woman wanted to discuss a bullying incident that had occurred at Trabuco Mesa Elementary.

Traffic Stop 8:15 a.m. Friday, on El Portal and El Paseo. Deputies arrested a 27-year-old man who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Disturbance—Music or Party 1:23 a.m. Friday, on San Vicente. A caller said people played loud music while they threw cans around their garage.

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

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