Blotter: He Wasn't Talking, Cops Weren't Taking Chances

For the most part, transparency is a good thing when dealing with the cops. Sure, they make mistakes. But you don't want to call the cops with a chip on your shoulder

According to the blotter of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, an informant heard a loud bang and went downstairs to investigate. He saw a man at the window. The subject ran toward the street.

This is where it gets interesting.

The informant refused to tell the 9-1-1 operator whether or not he has any weapons in the residence because he doesn’t trust police because of the media. The informant then was overheard telling his wife to get him a machete, although it was still unknown whether he had any firearms and Lake Forest police services didn't fully know what they were dealing with.

When sheriff deputies arrived, they asked for the informant to step outside without anything in his hands. He did so, with his hands up.

Brian Keith Baker, 20, was taken into custody, cited and released.

The call was made Sunday, 3:53 a.m., from Coca. 

Is your money good?

Most of the time when the Orange County Sheriff’s deputies are called to assist outside agencies, it involves the Orange County Fire Authority, Child Protective Services or maybe the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

But on Saturday, they assisted the Secret Service.

A man reported a pair of counterfeit bills, which the Secret Service was coming to get.

The call was made Saturday, 5:50 p.m., from the 26700 block of Portola Parkway.

Haven’t we all felt like this?

A woman reported that a man accused her of not stopping for a stop sign, then proceeded to kick the back of the informant’s vehicle and walked into the store.

The call was made Saturday, 3:55 p.m., at El Toro and Rockfield.

The following is a summary report of various calls from Lake Forest to the Orange County Sheriff's Department on July 6-7.

Disturbance, Sunday, 1:20 a.m., 22200 block of Summit Hill Drive. An informant reported some juveniles at the Grandview Crest Condominiums who were using the pool while in their underwear.

Disturbance, Sunday, 12:44 a.m., 200 block of Chaumont Circle. An informant reported he had gotten into an altercation with some subjects that were throwing fireworks in the area. About 70 minutes earlier, there was a report of subjects setting off fireworks and driving up and down the street in a black Honda

Disturbance, Saturday, 11:58 p.m., on Parterre. A woman thought she heard a gunshot and a man and woman in an argument.

Traffic accident—unknown injuries, Saturday, 11:08 p.m., at El Toro Road and Crol. A man driving a car reported he hit a man on a bicycle.

Suspicious person/circumstances, Saturday, 9:53 p.m., 22900 block of Belquest. An informant reported his back door had been smashed in and didn’t know if anyone was still inside the residence. Deputies cleared the inside and outside of the home. 

Disturbance—music or party, Saturday, 8:48 p.m., Bell Vista and Mallorca. A caller complained about someone singing loudly at an unknown residence on Bell Vista.

Suspicious person/circumstances, Saturday, 7:43 p.m., Towne Centre Drive and Bake Parkway. A caller witnessed a man in the Target parking lot trying to jam something int o the keyhole of a blue mini van in the back of the parking lot.

Battery, Saturday, 4:37 p.m., 21700 block of Queensbury Drive.  A woman reported that her male roommate, with whom she had been living for two months, had kicked her in the leg and slapped her in the arm. She refused medical attention, but insidted on pressing charges for assault. The woman was hesitant to talk, but deputies heard her cussing out the man and instigating the situation.

Reckless driving, Saturday, 2:41 p.m., 26300 block of Towne Centre Drive. An informant reported a man doing wheelies on his Yamaha motorcycle for the past hour on a blind corner. He wasn’t lying, either. A similar call was made 45 minutes earlier.

These reports were culled from the Orange County Sheriff's website. Not all facts in each report are made public; the outcome of the report may differ from the original blotter item. There should be no assumption of guilt based on this limited information.