Slipping through the wall

Greg Risling

BAY ISLAND -- They formed a human wall across the narrow bridge,

determined to stop the tool-wielding assailant who had attacked their

fellow construction worker only minutes before.

Armed with bar clamps -- not the most formidable weapon -- the workers

waited to pounce on the mysterious men.

They never appeared.

“We figured if he was going to come off the island, he would have to come

through us,” said Jim Cone. “We didn’t want a guy like that running

around.”

Cone was one of several construction workers who tried to stop a botched

burglary Friday morning on Bay Island. The group of men blocked a

footbridge -- one of the only means of escape off the tiny, upscale

island. The only other way off is by water.

Police are still looking for two men who allegedly assaulted 50-year-old

George Carpenter of Costa Mesa, who police say interrupted a burglary at

a Bay Island home around 10:45 a.m.

Carpenter reportedly confronted one of the men in a wine cellar. He

struggled with the stranger for several minutes, police said. During the

fight, the man picked up a tool that police believed was a wood chisel

and stabbed Carpenter in the arm and back. The victim also said someone

came up behind him and hit him on the back of the head with an unknown

object. The two men then ran away.

Carpenter alerted the group of construction workers and that is when they

stepped into action.

“He was bleeding, dazed and unsure what had happened,” Cone said. “We

figured we would go to the bridge so they wouldn’t get off the island.”

While Carpenter was taken to Hoag Hospital, where he was treated for

shallow stab wounds and later released, police were conducting an

extensive search of the island.

“The suspects may have tried to get off the island or found other means

to hide here,” said Newport Beach police Sgt. Mike McDermott. “We don’t

know if they were able to get off the island, but we need to check the

area.”

Sixteen police officers went from house to house looking for the

suspected burglars. The time-consuming search was hampered by the

spacious homes that have basements and crawl spaces. Police also employed

the help of a helicopter and a K-9 unit during the search.

Adora Lindsley, who has lived on the island for many years, said she was

unaware of the commotion outside her home until she opened her front

door.

“We were oblivious to what was going on,” she said. “We came outside and

saw the police huddled in a meeting.”

Police looked for more than two hours but didn’t find the men. Residents

were not allowed access to the island during the search. Even a messenger

delivering a bouquet of flowers was turned away.

Carpenter managed to give a description of one of his attackers. The man

he described is white, about 20 years old, of medium height and has short

hair. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, dark pants and rubber

gloves.

Cone and his co-workers were surprised by the attack, but were willing to

put themselves in harm’s way.

“They showed some courage by arming themselves with tools,” McDermott

said. “They were all pretty big guys. But it is something we wouldn’t

recommend people doing in that situation.”