Mink coats prove tempting target

One man arrested in the New Year’s Day burglary of upscale boutique; police seek other suspects.Newport Beach police found seven stolen coats while searching the Los Angeles home of a man who was arrested on suspicion of being connected to a New Year’s Day burglary of a boutique in Lido Marina Village, a police spokesman said.

James Tyrane Douglas, 39, of Los Angeles, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of possession of stolen property, Newport Beach police spokesman Bill Hartford said. Police believe more arrests are likely.

“We’ve got some other individuals that we’ve identified, and we’ll be [making] arrests,” Hartford said. Although he could not give an exact number, he did say more than two people could be arrested.

Hartford said he did not know if Douglas stole the coats or if he received them at some point after the burglary.

Police believe the coats were stolen from a boutique on Via Oporto. Early New Year’s Day, police showed up at the store after a burglary alarm went off. Police found that much of the store’s inventory had been stolen.

The store’s owner said Monday that almost all of her clothing had been stolen, and that she has not yet been able to restock her merchandise.

“It was awful. I’m going to be scared of anyone walking in my shop from now on,” the boutique’s owner added.

“They knew exactly where things were,” she said. “Even in the corner, they did not miss things.”

The Daily Pilot does not print the names of crime victims.

The owner said the burglars stole merchandise that included mink jackets, beaded French evening gowns and chinchilla shawls -- even mannequins. She said the seven items that police found in Los Angeles were expensive fur-lined leather jackets.

On Monday the owner said she was still making a list of all the stolen merchandise. She said more than 60 jackets were taken.

On Dec. 24, there was another burglary at a Lido Marina Village jewelry store, Hartford said. In that crime, watches worth about $12,000 were stolen after someone smashed a window to get into the store.

Hartford said Newport Beach detectives are determining whether the crimes could be linked, since there is the obvious parallel of two burglaries happening on holidays. However, Hartford said he knows of no evidence indicating that the thefts are related.

The boutique owner said she believes Lido Marina Village needs more security guards. Lido Marina Village property manager Donna Larson said that on weekdays, unarmed guards arrive at the waterfront shopping center at about 6 or 7 p.m. On weekends, guards show up at noon.

Larson said she does not believe additional security is needed at Lido Marina Village.

“Newport Beach is a safe place to be,” she said.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at [email protected].