Welcome to blogs.ocweekly.com
Blogs
  • News
    • News Home
    • Daily News
    • News Articles
    • Moxley Confidential
    • National
    • Letters
  • Music
    • Music Home
    • Top Picks
    • Music Articles
    • Heard Mentality
    • Entertainment Ads
    • Submit An Event
  • Calendar
    • Calendar Home
    • Top Picks
    • Submit an Event
  • Restaurants
    • Restaurants Home
    • Restaurant Guide
    • Reviews
    • Stick a Fork In It
    • This Hole-In-the-Wall Life
    • Sponsored Online Menus
    • Restaurant Ads
    • Restaurant Coupons
  •  
  • Arts
    • Arts Home
    • Art Features
    • Theater Features
    • Book Reviews
    • Trendzilla
    • Submit an Event
  • Films
    • Films Home
    • Now Showing
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Reviews
    • Features
    • Movie Ads
  • The Ads
    • Ad Index
    • Flip Book
    • Media Kit
    • Coupons
  • Classifieds
    • Free Classifieds
    • Real Estate For Sale
    • Virtual Career Fair
    • Personals
    • Personals Blogs
    • Alternative Healing
  • Blogs
    • Navel Gazing
    • Heard Mentality
    • Stick A Fork In It
  • Columns
    • Ask A Mexican
    • Hey You!
    • Savage Love
    • Letters
  • Best Of
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bars & Clubs
    • Food & Drink
    • People & Places
    • Shopping & Services
    • Best of Ads
    • Readers Choice
  • Bars/Clubs
    • Bars/Clubs Home
    • Bars/Club Ads
    • Marijuana Dispensaries
    • Bars / Clubs Coupons
  • Archives
    • Advanced Archive Search
    • Locations Map
    • Event Search
  • Reader Recommendations
  • Promotions
    • Events
    • Street Team
    • Join the Street Team
    • On Sale!
    • Free Stuff
    • Sponsored Concert Calendars
  • Site Map

Top

blog

Stories

  • A Clockwork Orange

    Virgin America to OC: Buh-Bye

    By Matt Coker

    1
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Irvine Rally Tonight for Lt. Dan Choi

    By Matt Coker

    2
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Meet Jesse James' Alleged Mistress

    By Matt Coker

    3
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Cop Faces New Rape, Sodomy Charges

    By Matt Coker

    4
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Foreclosure for Octomom, Kids?

    By Matt Coker

    5
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Police: She Sold Kids Alcohol

    By Matt Coker

    6
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Supremes Weigh OC's Poop

    By Matt Coker

    7
  • Main

    State Rejects OC Fair Bids

    By Megan Brescini

    8
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Welcome to The Hilarious Haters: MTV "The Real World" Edition

    By Matt Coker

    9
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Drunk Leprechauns Targeted Tonight

    By Matt Coker

    10
  • Dishney

    Disney-Themed Burlesque Shows! HELL YEAH.

    By Vickie Chang

    11
  • A Clockwork Orange

    How to Arm a Pentagon Shooter

    By Matt Coker

    12
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Meg Whitman Wusses Out

    By Matt Coker

    13
  • A Clockwork Orange

    Jim Gilchrist Saves Journalism

    By Matt Coker

    14
  • Breaking News

    Don Haidl Gets Wrist Slap

    By R. Scott Moxley

    15
 
A Clockwork Orange

Crime Time: Is Tobias Funke the "Blue Note Bandit"?

By Matt Coker, Wednesday, Dec. 9 2009 @ 8:56AM
Comments (1)
Categories: Crime & Sex
It's the Weekly's weekly crime round-up--now with more blatant Arrested Development imagery.

david-cross-blue.jpg
Could Tobias Fünke be the "Blue Note Bandit" (Wednesday) or the man making "blown" offers (Thursday)?
​

TUESDAY, DEC. 1

Nice Racks! After pulling over a silver 2004 Acura TL four-door at Newport Boulevard and 23rd Street in Newport Beach just before 3:45 a.m. for a vehicle code violation, a police officer discovered a roof rack that fit the description of one stolen from a 2004 Volvo at Bolsa Street and 15th Street hours earlier. More reports soon poured in from people who'd had roof racks plucked off their rides. The occupants of the car originally pulled over--Ernest Rodriguez, 21; Joshua Daniel Alvarez, 22; David Arias, 19; and the action-figure-worthy-named Agustin Castrejon Bravo Jr., 18, all of Fontucky, er, Fontana--were all arrested on suspicion of grand theft and held in lieu of $20,000 bail each. Cops estimated each rack was worth about $300.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2

Now, That's a Knife As they were citing three men for being drunk and having marijuana on them in the parking lot of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point around 2 a.m., police discovered one man also had a knife on him. Because the church includes a school on the same property, construction worker Carlos Alcantar, 22, was arrested on suspicion of  possession of a weapon on school grounds.

blue-note-bandit.jpg
Courtesy of Orange County Sheriff's Department (left) and Tustin Police Department
"Blue Note Bandit" in action in Seal Beach (left) and Tustin. The latter robbery left him seeing red.
​
What's Blue and Red and Wanted All Over? A robber who got away with loot from a U.S. Bank in Aliso Viejo today is suspected of being the "Blue Note Bandit" who has also been linked to heists of Chase Bank in Costa Mesa on Dec. 1, California Bank and Trust in San Juan Capistrano on Nov. 30 and Wachovia Banks in Tustin and Seal Beach on Nov. 24 and Oct. 13 respectively. Immediately after the Tustin robbery, as Crime Time previously noted, a dye pack exploded, covering the street, flying cash and the Blue Note Bandit in red. He acquired his nickname from the Bank Robbery Apprehension Team, which is composed of the FBI and the Orange County Sheriff's Department, because he used blue paper for his demand note in the first robbery. His notes in all the robberies claim he has a gun. He is described as white, in his 30s, 5 feet 10 with a thin build, medium length, light brown hair and a tan complexion. Got info? Call (866) 847-6873.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3

Such Tools Following a rash of burglaries at woodworking businesses that started in October in east Anaheim, police detectives started putting such companies under surveillance. That paid dividends around 2:30 a.m. when two men were arrested in the 2700 block of East Miraloma Avenue, where police say they saw them emerging from a smashed glass plate door. Oh, and they were allegedly carrying woodworking tools . . . and loading them in their truck. Carlos Tapia Cruz, 26, of Garden Grove, and Leonardo Catalan, 22, were held on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen material. Officers says they have recovered a large number of stolen items, including power tools and flat screen televisions, and believe the suspects may be tied to at least three commercial burglaries in Orange.

Extra-Curricular Activity? A Redondo Union High School teacher arranged a meeting with a 16-year-old female student in his media arts classroom at 1:30 p.m., during sixth period when he didn't have a class. During that meeting, the girl alleges the much-older teacher did something naughty that police refused to specify, other than to say he did not touch the girl. Louis Jay Haddad, 50, of Huntington Beach, was arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct. While police investigate the evidence to verify the student's account and ensure she did not file a false report, Haddad has not been charged. The married father of two has worked at the school for eight years.

Maybe He Was Seeking a Book by Author Will U. Suckmydick? After a man in the media room at Huntington Beach Central Library allegedly asked a woman to perform oral sex on him, he was confronted by library employees and, as he tried to leave, a fight ensued. A security guard detained the man until police arrived around 4:30 p.m. Francis Gallo, 48, was arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct in public.

Lowering the Boom A police officer pulled over a 1999 BMW near Ritz-Carlton Drive and Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point around 8:30 p.m. because it was missing its front license plate and bumper, the windows were tinted and it just looked suspicious. That wasn't the half of it because inside were what appeared to be bomb-making materials and a book explaining how to be a sniper, according to police. The bomb squad was called out and nothing explosive was found, but the car's occupants allegedly had bags of heroin and methamphetamine on them. Kelly Cleary, 24, and Eric Battersby, 25, were arrested on suspicion of narcotics possession.

Such Tools, Part II Sheriff's deputies received a call just after 11 p.m. from someone at a motel in the 34100 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point reporting that a marijuana dealer with a "backpack full of weed" and a "closet full of stolen tools" was staying there. He also had a female with him because, you know, guys with backpacks full of weed and closets full of stolen tools get all the chicks.

FRIDAY, DEC. 4

richard-austin-baumgartnerIII.jpg
Courtesy of Orange Police Department
Richard Austin Baumgartner III
​
Here, There, Everywhere Police officers trying to pull over a 2001 Dodge Dakota truck that had been apparently driving recklessly in downtown Orange followed it to Anita Street off Chapman Avenue, where it dead-ends. The driver allegedly whipped the car around and zoomed toward the officers, who had exited their police car. One officer jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit, while the other fired several shots at the car. The driver, who was not struck, continued onto the southbound 57 freeway, then the south 5 freeway and finally the transition to the south 55 freeway, where he crashed into the center divider north of the McFadden Street exit in Tustin just before 12:20 a.m. As officers approached, the driver allegedly fled from the Dakota on foot, but he was quickly captured. Richard Austin Baumgartner III, 28, of Costa Mesa, was taken to a hospital for treatment of pain in his legs before he was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading.

Putting the "Drip" in IV Drip A 45-year-old woman left Mission Hospital in Dana Point just before 1 a.m. without checking out--and without removing the IV in her arm. A sheriff's deputy found her about 20 minutes later and returned the IV to its rightful medical center.

Alleged Son-Napping Foiled A mother met with who she believed were two private investigators today to arrange the kidnapping of her 7-year-old son, according to the Orange County District Attorney. She allegedly talked about obtaining passports for her boy, fleeing with him to Europe or the Middle East and a $10,000 payment for the kidnapping. But one of the people she was meeting with was really an undercover Newport Beach police officer, and Niveen Ismail, 43, of Newport Beach, was arrested on the spot. The DA later charged her with one felony count of solicitation to commit kidnapping. She was held on $1 million bail and, if convicted, could spend three years in state prison. Ismail lost parental rights in 2005 to her son, who now lives in Lake Forest with a foster family in the process of adopting him. The DA claims Ismail first contacted the P.I. in November and laid out the plan to kidnap the boy from the foster family and take him to Tijuana, Mexico, in exchange for the 10 grand. The P.I. instead contacted police and the trap was set.

Nigerian Sting 2.0 Jackie Reed was contacted by family members about an emergency email she sent the stated she was stuck in Nigeria and desperately needed $2,500 to return home. The deal was, Reed was not in Nigeria, she was home at Laguna Woods Village. She contacted sheriff's deputies, who called this another variation of the old Nigerian email scam. It's believed scamsters hacked into her account and emailed all her contacts after Reed responded to what she thought was an email from Yahoo! in October seeking her email address and password. Yahoo! reps say they never ask for such information in an email.

 1  |  2  | Next Page >>
Comments (1) Write Comment
Share

Related Content

  • A Guide to our Advertisers August 9, 2001
  • Guide to Our Advertisers March 23, 2000
  • Crime Time: Alleged Rummy Mommy, Ex-Cop Robber, Sticky Fingers, Douches on (and Taking) Bikes and Really Bad Karaoke Singers December 1, 2009
  • 2009: Bad Year To Be In The Restaurant Biz, Or Was It? January 6, 2010
  • Best of OC 2004: Part 2 October 21, 2004

More About:

  • Toyota Corolla
  • Dana Point
  • Tustin
  • Robbery
  • Crime

Comments (1)

bittersweet says:

Re:Raider Nation. Bummer, Chase got robbed, but what goes around comes around. Chase is robbing all of its customers, but hey, that's not a crime yet, is it? For the time being, their form of robbery is legit. They should be held accountable for their highway robbery. Sigh, alas, big name, big money, you can get away with ripping people off.

Posted On: Thursday, Jan. 21 2010 @ 7:49PM

Write Comment


Comments may not show up immediately after submission. Please wait a minute after posting a comment for it to appear.

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking "Post," you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Tools

Search Navel Gazing


Follow

Email tips to tips@ocweekly.com

SlideShows»

  • Burlesqueland! Does Disneyland
  • Bad Religion @ House of Blues Anaheim
  • Burlesqueland! @ Bordello's (NSFW)
  • More Slideshows >>

Most …

  • Virgin America Aborts OC Flights
  • Judge Goes Easy On Guilty CHP Pedophile
  • Funds Pulled for Anaheim-to-Las-Vegas Choo Choo
  • [UPDATED:] DUI Checkpoint in San Clemente Tonight, Surf City Tomorrow
  • Cocaine Bust Capped Dramatic Beach Rescue
  • More Recent Entries...
  • Updated: Orly Taitz Files Rambling Complaint Against Damon Dunn; ALSO, the Sky is Blue (109)
  • [UPDATED:] 3 MORE Santa Ana Schools Among California's Worst (34)
  • Racist OC Register Fustercluck of the Day (31)
  • [UPDATED:] Long Beach's District Weekly WILL Fold (25)
  • [UPDATED:] DA Sues Toyota (12)
  • Report: More 12 Year Olds Huff Than Toke, Snort or Trip
  • [UPDATED:] Benny Hinn Goes On Air to Counter Estranged Wife
  • Bitch Who Left Jesse James is Back!
  • Updated: Orly Taitz Files Rambling Complaint Against Damon Dunn; ALSO, the Sky is Blue
  • Burlesqueland: Two Nights of Disney-Themed Burlesque!

Twitter Feed

Follow ocweekly on Twitter

More Twitter >>

VVM on Digg

  • 2
    diggs
    Colorado Health Dept. Opposes Medical Marijuana for PTSD
  • 1
    diggs
    Stephen Colbert Discovers Sweet Shamrock
  • 38
    diggs
    Old Man Charged With Hate Crime for Grabbing Woman's Butt
  • 27
    diggs
    Firefighter Can't Extinguish Flame of Passion - In His Pants
  • 39
    diggs
    Sign This is Going to Be a Long Day (Pic)
  • 38
    diggs
    Six Fictional Restaurants That Should be Real
  • 1
    diggs
    Another Costa Mesa Medical Marijuana Dispensary Closes
  • 3
    diggs
    The Mad Men: Greedy gazillionaires & oil derricks in the sky
  • 1
    diggs
    Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (Surprise, Surprise!) Doesn't Li
  • 114
    diggs
    Malnourished Easter Bunnies Seized
  • 86
    diggs
    Man arrested for peeing on 7 Hispanic girls
  • 340
    diggs
    Cheech and Chong: 5 surprising facts
  • 314
    diggs
    How a Bag of Rice Can Save Your iPhone’s Life
  • 473
    diggs
    Wachovia Admits It Laundered Millions in Mexican Drug Cash
  • 402
    diggs
    Top 10 Kit Kat Flavors You’ve Probably Never Tried
  • 341
    diggs
    Missouri Lawmaker Wants Women to Give Reason For Abortion
  • 346
    diggs
    Woman Gardens Topless Near School; Kids Like It, Cops Don't
  • 389
    diggs
    Dad Tries to Sell Son on Craigslist for $5,000
  • 275
    diggs
    SXSW Interactive Is Dead
  • 193
    diggs
    Alex Chilton Of Big Star Dies In New Orleans
  • 8775
    diggs
    Legalization of Marijuana Bill in California
  • 5801
    diggs
    Guess Who is Facing 21 Years in Prison?
  • 5051
    diggs
    Guys Dates Several Prostitutes. No Sex. Just Regular Dates.
  • 4605
    diggs
    Get Up, Stand Up: Ammiano Introduces Marijuana Legalization
  • 3753
    diggs
    Denver Airports Controversial 32 FT Zombie Mustang Sculpture
  • 3742
    diggs
    Guy Dumps His Cheating Girlfriend Live on Radio (Audio)
  • 2720
    diggs
    Meet Scientology's Worst Enemy
  • 2695
    diggs
    Decision Tree: Should I Buy an iPad? (PIC)
  • 2631
    diggs
    The best (PIC) of Colin Powell you'll see today.
  • 2589
    diggs
    Police Get The Wrong House In Galveston, Assault 12-Year old

Services

  • The Gravity Vortex

    View Ad | View Site

Education

  • www.propta.com

    View Ad | View Site
  • Toni & Guy Academy - OC

    View Ad | View Site
More >>

Links

About Us | Work for OC Weekly | Esubscribe | Free Classifieds | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Problem With the Site? | RSS | Site Map
©2010 OC Weekly, LP. All rights reserved.