Crime Time: Move Over, Trendzilla!

It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of Orange County police calls . . .

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

Forest Firebug is a Pot Farm Exposer to Boot: Seven fires were ignited within a short distance of each other in Trabuco Canyon. A serial firebug may be responsible as four other fires had been lit in the same general area of Cleveland National Forest over the past four weeks. The latest led to a brush fire that brought out hand crews and two helicopters before it was contained to about an acre and knocked down. Probably wanting to get their hands on the arsonist more than authorities are those responsible for the marijuana farm firefighters stumbled upon before calling in U.S. Forest Service investigators for a closer look.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

Who Were Those Masked Men? Two masked robbers wearing gloves but showing no weapons took over a California Bank and Trust in the 32200 block of Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano around 10:20 a.m. and walked away with an unknown amount of cash. They were last seen hopping into an older model Jeep Cherokee, which was found a short time later in the back of the building.

What You Talkin' About, Wills? A gunman approached two Laguna Beach residents, ages 62 and 73, in the underground parking lot of the Susi Q Senior Center and robbed them as a teen acted as lookout. After the victims gave up less than $100, the two bandits fled. The next day, Bill Wills, 20, was arrested at his Top of the World Drive home on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was held on $100,000 bail at the Orange County Jail. An unidentified 16-year-old was arrested elsewhere for being Wills' alleged accomplice before being released to his parents. Police say the weapon used in the crime was possibly an air or pellet gun.
]

THURSDAY, JUNE 18

Lay Off the Pipe: Two men and two women approached a 35-year-old
man in the front yard of his house in the 1000 block of West Camile
Street in Santa Ana around 1:20 a.m. and, apparently unprovoked, one of
the women whipped out a pipe and began hitting the victim multiple
times in the chest and back. She then went over and smashed out the
back window of the victim's Toyota Sienna. He was injured but refused a
ride to the hospital. Cops believe it was a gang-related attack. Here
are their descriptions of the foursome: Hispanic woman, about 23 years
old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 235 pounds with black hair and brown
eyes; Hispanic woman, 20-23 years old, 5 feet to 5 feet 3 inches tall,
about 140 to 160 pounds with blonde hair; Hispanic man, 20-25 years
old, 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a thin build and
bald; Hispanic man, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with back
hair.

Where's Dateline When You Need It? The Sexual Assault
Felony Enforcement team, or SAFE, a multi-agency task force that
investigates crimes against children, arrested Brock Jackson,
21, of Rancho Santa Margarita. He was charged in federal court with
having a four-month-long sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl he
met online and of possessing hundreds of videos and about 6,000 images
of child pornography. His arrest was the SAFE team's third of the week,
as they'd previously popped David Brown, 34, of Lake Forest, and Richard Chaney,
23, Costa Mesa. Brown was charged in Orange County Superior Court with
sex acts with a minor, while Chaney was accused in federal court of
having a 14-year-old girl engage in live video sex acts, and of later
having sex with her. He is also accused of raping another woman who was
unconscious.

Ski Season is Over. Ski Mask Season? Not So Much: An man wearing
a ski mask showed a teller at East West Bank, 14845 Jeffrey Road,
Irvine, that he had a gun around 9:15 a.m. before jumping over a
counter and leaving with an unknown amount of cash. Witnesses saw him
heading north after walking out of the bank. He was described as light
skinned, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, wearing dark clothing. Oh, and
the ski mask.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

The Entry Was Flawless, the Escape Was Not: Four men used metal
bars to pry open the glass front entrance door and a hydraulic jack to
open a security door at Best Buy, 2375 Tustin St., Orange, around 2:20
a.m. Police arrived within five minutes, just in time to follow a
Chevrolet truck fleeing the scene. At Tustin and Bixby avenues, less
than a mile from the electronics stores, the truck was stopped, 19
laptop computers were recovered and Dominique Gerome Johnson, 28, and
Kithe Dwayne Dinnes, 20, both of Compton, were placed under arrest.
William Alphonso Fitzgerald, 42, of Long Beach, was apprehended later
in the day. They were charged with commercial burglary. The fourth man,
who police did not identify, was still being sought.  

Clipped at the Hip: A driver smacked his/her vehicle into a 40ish
bicyclist around 8:20 a.m. at Pacifica and Irvine Center Drive in
Irvine before speeding off. The bicyclist complained of pain in his
hip. No further description of the driver or his/her vehicle was
provided.

Follow the Bouncing Saturn: A white Toyota 4Runner rear-ended a silver
Saturn sedan heading south on North Tustin Street near Mayfair Avenue
around 11 a.m. The Saturn wound up flipped over on the sidewalk. Police
administered a field sobriety test to the female driver of the 4Runner
before handcuffing her and taking her away in a patrol car. The
unidentified suspect was arrested on suspicion of driving under the
influence of drugs. The Saturn driver, also a woman, complained of pain
to her hip–there's a lot of that going around today–but she decided
against a ride to the hospital.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

Attention, Shoppers, Capture of Felon in Progress, Aisle Five: A man in
a black and white jogging suit approached a teller in the Bank of
America inside the Albertsons at 25872 Muirlands Blvd., Mission Viejo,
about 12:30 p.m., and handed her a note stating he had a gun and would
use it if she did not fork over cash. But before the robber–who was
described as standing more than 6 feet tall and weighing about 200
lbs.–could make off with his loot, he was put into a headlock by a
much smaller woman and pinned down. The hero was described only as a
retired Long Beach police officer who stood about 5 feet 7 inches tall,
weighed about a buck 25 and, though unarmed, went over to help after
hearing the bank had been robbed. By the time deputies arrived, she had
convinced another Albertsons customer to help her hold down the
suspect. He was later identified as Tony Baik Fennell, 52, of Las
Vegas, who authorities have linked to two other Orange County heists
and at least two others in Norco and Utah.

SUNDAY, JUNE 21

Someone Hit Someone Else With the Thing at the Place: A Santa Ana
police officer's car crashed with another car around 8:45 p.m. Sunday
night on McFadden Avenue at Center Street. Other than saying three
people were taken to the hospital, details were sketchy from police,
who did not identify anyone involved.

MONDAY, JUNE 22

Up on the Roof: A woman called deputies around 5:30 a.m. saying a bunch
of kids were on her roof at Via Cuenta Nueva trying to scare her. After
deputies arrived, 22-year-old Jonathan Emery Averillstrom was arrested
on suspicion of being a prowler.

Army of One (Arrest): Deputies picked up Brendan Francis O`Donnell, a
wanted, 36-year-old Army deserter, and handed him off to Military
Police at the Camp Pendleton gate around 6:50 a.m.