BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

Three men accused in church burglary

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of stealing about $7,000 worth of computer equipment, as well as cash, from an office of the Laguna Presbyterian Church, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said. The burglary was reported at 1:38 p.m. Monday.

A projector, two laptops and $1,000 in loose change were stolen.

Ross David Hamera, 18, was arrested the following day at 9:15 a.m. at Laguna Beach High School. He was taken to Orange County Jail and held on $40,000 bail, according to jail records.

The other two suspects were arrested at police department headquarters at 4:53 p.m., according to police records. They are: Adam Nathan Houghton, 20, of Newport Beach, and Olivier Guillaume LeBayon, 21, of Newport Coast.

The laptops, projector and some of the money has been recovered, Kravetz said.

The three are accused of burglary and conspiracy in allegedly acting together to commit the burglary.

Driver held after fence is knocked down

A woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run after allegedly hitting a fence in the 400 block of Jasmine Street about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Kravetz said.

Jean Karen Taulien, 49, was located 45 minutes later in a parking lot at Boat Canyon, inside her Ford Mustang. A witness took a partial license plate of the vehicle that ran into the white picket fence and knocked it over, leading to the suspect’s arrest.

Ski, golf equipment stolen from shed

A locked container behind a businesses at 1549 N. Coast Hwy. was reported burglarized at 12:43 p.m. March 12, Kravetz said.

The victim went to his shed and noticed that someone had broken the lock off and stole $4,600 in miscellaneous items including golf clubs, ski boots, a ski bag, skis and ski equipment.

Man Tasered in coffee shop disturbance

A man was Tasered and arrested at 7:22 a.m. March 13 after allegedly ransacking a Starbucks coffee shop at Broadway and South Coast Highway and then charging at police, Kravetz said.

An officer was walking into the coffee shop when Jacob Randall Masterson, 27, brushed past him on his way out, with the manager on his heels. The manager accused Masterson of creating a disturbance by throwing newspapers around and also hurling bags of coffee beans. Masterson allegedly refused the officer’s demand that he stop, and at one point allegedly charged after the officer, who used a Taser to subdue him. Masterson, who police say is homeless, was eventually taken into custody on traffic violations and on suspicion of refusing arrest.

Youth suspected in vodka heist at grocery store

Police will use video footage to try to identify a juvenile male suspected of running into Albertson’s grocery store at 2:22 p.m. Thursday and stealing three bottles of Ketel One vodka valued at $102, Kravetz said. The suspect exited the store and jumped into a waiting black Chrysler 300. Police also have the license plate of the alleged getaway vehicle, Kravetz said.

Routine traffic stop leads to drug arrest

A San Juan Capistrano man was arrested on suspicion of possessing and transporting methamphetamine after being stopped on a routine traffic violation at 3:50 p.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Broadway, Kravetz said.

Gregorio Martinez, 62, was held on $20,000 bail, according to police records.

Driver held after low-speed crash

Vito Saenz, 29, of Laguna Niguel, was arrested on suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run and driving without a license after a slow-speed head on collision at Diamond Street and Summit Drive at 3:54 p.m. Thursday, Kravetz said.

Police had been called to the scene of the crash at Summit and La Mirada. The officer then saw the suspect vehicle at Diamond and Summit and made a traffic stop.

The suspect was driving a Toyota 4-Runner when he allegedly made a U-turn in front of the victim’s Mercedes. The U-turn was so wide that he hit her “head on” when he completed the maneuver, but the speeds were low enough that there was only minor damage to both cars and no injuries, Kravetz said.

After the collision, the driver backed up and fled down Summit Drive, Kravetz alleged.

Police: Man grabbed woman sitting in vehicle

Police are seeking a suspect who they say leaned in and grabbed a woman by the arm and around the neck as she sat in her vehicle in a parking space in the 300 block of Cliff Drive at 9:27 p.m. Thursday, Kravetz said.

The woman, who was shaken up but not injured, started rolling up her window when the man grabbed her, and he let go and ran away. The victim told police she does not know who he is and he didn’t say anything prior to the assault.

Spurned ex-husband accused of DUI

A man’s inebriated attempt to visit his former wife ended with his arrest on suspicion of DUI at 10:16 p.m. March 12 in the 1000 block of Noria Street, Kravetz said.

Police were called to a suspected burglary in progress, and investigated a report that a man had been trying to open the front door and then drove away. Officers spotted the car on Diamond Street and stopped it.

William Glen Fleming III, 43, of Laguna Beach, was arrested after police determined his ex-wife was not interested in seeing him, and that he was intoxicated.

Six accused of trespassing at church; one jailed

A San Diego man was sent to jail after police were called to a church in the 300 block of St. Ann’s Drive at 4:47 a.m. March 13 on a report that six homeless men were sleeping on the property and blocking doorways.

David Ronald Fisher, 31, was one of the six accused of trespassing.

He was sent to Santa Ana jail after a records check revealed a felony, no-bail parole violation warrant, Kravetz said.