Christine Reynolds, of Rossmoor, was arraigned Tuesday, May 5, on one count of murder and one count of using a firearm to commit murder.
A judge recently ruled that Reyholds would be tried on suspicion of fatally shooting her mother. On Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies responded to 11272 Wallingsford Road, Rossmoor, following reports of a shooting at the residence.
Deputies arrived with Orange County Fire Authority paramedics and discovered Gretchen DeStefano, 96, deceased, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Reynolds, 71 at the time, and the daughter of the victim, was detained at the scene of the shooting.
Rossmoor man to be sentenced May 22 for 2012 jogger stabbing
James Rivas, of Rossmoor, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, May 22, for attempted murder in the stabbing of a 28-year-old woman in 2012.
A jury convicted Rivas of the attempted murder in April. At about 9:11 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, someone grabbed a 28-year-old woman from behind and stabbed her as she was jogging on the 3200 block of Bostonian Drive in Rossmoor.The woman was treated at a hospital and released.
James Rivas, then 18, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 25, at his home.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Tuesday, April 21
Auto Theft Report—6:54 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported the theft of his vehicle from his workplace parking lot at 12:01 a.m.
Peddlers—10:21 a.m.—Sandpiper Drive—The caller reported two women with clipboards selling unknown products. However, the officer in police unit 107 apparently determined no further police services were necessary.
Petty Theft—4:52 p.m.—Pelorus Avenue—Someone stole documents and a charger from the caller’s unlocked car sometime during the two hours prior to the call to police. Report taken.
Traffic Stop—7:13 p.m.—Lampson Avenue—Two individuals were arrested as a result of this traffic stop. Jennifer Segobia was arrested on suspicion of a petty theft warrant.
Christopher Mejia arrested on suspicion of petty theft and suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Wednesday, April 22
Suspicious Circumstances—2:31 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a man was taking his clothes off and putting on new ones. The call was intitially listed as possible petty theft. However, Gregory Wade Matlock was arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Welfare Check—3:16 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—An individual who was apparently described as a transient by the caller was sitting in front of the store with his belongings all over the place and a cane that appeared to have fallen on the ground. The caller thought he was in poor health. Police were unable to locate the individual.
Malcious Mischief—5:01 p.m.—Pelorus Avenue—The caller, relaying second-hand information, said the tires of an unknown vehicle were slashed. The incident apparently occurred the previous weekend. At 5:17 p.m., the log said the Naval Weapons Station was handling the investigation and would call back the Seal Beach Police if they were needed.
Welfare Check—7:50 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said two children were sleeping in their car seats. The windows of the vehicles were down. The officer in unit 206 determined that the sleeping children were OK. Police contacted someone and determined that no further police services were necessary.
Thursday, April 23
Illegal Peddler—11:26 a.m.—Driftwood Avenue—A woman was reported walking up and down the street, supposedly selling insulation. Police were unable to locate her.
Friday, April 24
Municipal Code—5:44 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller complained about a trash truck at the rear of the business. The caller said he contacted the driver, who reportedly said he wasn’t aware of the time restriction on his activities. However, the caller said the police had previously contacted the same driver.
Police unit 141 contacted the trash truck driver. Counseled.
Burglary Report—8:18 a.m.—Yale Lane—The caller’s vehicle was apparently burglarized sometime between 8:45 p.m., Thursday, April 23, and 7:30 a.m., Friday, April 24. Point of entry: unknown. Loss: change and miscellaneous items. Report taken.
Grand Theft—9:44 a.m.—Yale Lane—The caller’s car was apparently unlocked when someone stole a laptop computer from the vehicle between 5:45 and 6:20 a.m.
Grand Theft Report—9:55 a.m.—Seventh Street—The crime apparently occurred between 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, and 6:50 a.m., Thursday, April 23. Loss: two bicycles—a beach cruiser valued at $600 and a mountain bike valued at $1,800. The bikes were taken from the caller’s porch.
Disturbance, Music—10:49 p.m.—12th Street—The caller reported what the caller said was an on-going issue with a neighbor playing loud music in a garage. The caller was willing to sign a complaint if needed. The individual responsible for the music was advised and told police that he would comply.
Saturday, April 25
Found Property—9:44 a.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said a known shoplifter left a bag with his personal belongings inside the store. The manager asked that the police pick up the property and book it into evidence as the company did not want that individual coming back for the property. The caller said it was possible that stuff inside the bag were stolen items, but the caller could not confirm that. Report taken.
Suspicious Circumstances—9:54 a.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said three men in their 20s were standing outside and one of them might have been holding something that looked like a black rifle. Police unit 106 contacted the young men and determined that they were with Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. They were advised against displaying something that resembles a firearm and they said they would comply.
Extra Patrol Check Requested—1:40 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller asked for an extra patrol check for an unspecified number of juveniles on skateboards in the parking lot.
They were last seen headed toward Main Street but the caller said they were going back and forth. Police were unable to locate them.
Disturbance, Juveniles—6:13 p.m.—Montecito Road—The caller said three juveniles on skateboarders kept riding down the driveway into the street and in front of traffic. The caller said she almost hit one of them when she drove by. The caller believed the juveniles were intentionally riding in front of vehicles and playing “chicken.” Police were unable to locate the juveniles.
Sunday, April 26
Disturbance, Juveniles—6:08 p.m.—Main Street and Electric Avenue—The caller reported two individuals who were apparently minors jumping out from behind a tree on skateboards. Police unit 242 contacted an individual who was sitting at the intersection waiting for a bus. That individual had not seen any skateboarders.
Disturbance, Noise—6:52 p.m.—Eighth Street—The caller complained about loud neighbors who the caller believed might have been drunk. Police unit 207 contacted the neighboring homeowner and advised the homeowner to keep the noise down. The homeowner apparently promised to comply.
Monday, April 27
Disturbance—9:40 a.m.—Seal Way—The caller, relaying second-hand information to law enforcement, said a man became hostile to a woman as she walked by the man’s residence with her dog. She said that the man raised a stick as if he was going to hit her with it. She requested that the police counsel him about his behavior. Counseled.
Found Property—3:46 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported that a found bike was turned in at the front gate. Report taken.
Welfare Check—7:20 p.m.—Row A, Surfside Colony—The caller, relaying second-hand information, said the garage door of a home was half open and a vehicle was running inside. Message left for security. Poice unit 207 found that no one was home. According to the log, it appeared that the residents were jump-starting a car when they left. Vehicle turned off. No further police services were necessary.
Drunk—7:45 p.m.—Main Street—The caller said two individuals, a driver and a passenger, were passed out in a car. The car was not running. The caller reported vomit outside the doors. The windows were open. Police unit 207 found a man and a woman asleep in a car at 7:45 p.m. As of 8:03 p.m., they were walking home. The car was locked up. No further police services were necessary.
Tuesday, April 28
Fraud Report—9:40 a.m.—Candleberry Avenue—The caller said someone had accessed his bank accounts and credit cards, as well as his Social Security number. The unknown individuals were changing his phone numbers so that no one could contact him. He also said they had been coming to his home and threatening him, stating that they were with the FBI. Upon the arrival of police unit 107, a U.S. Treasury agent was also present. The agent said he would handle the report due to it being a tax fraud crime. Log entry.
Disturbance—5:16 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway and First Street—The caller said a man who the caller described as a transient was standing on the corner, “flipping off” passersby and yelling racial slurs The watch commander was advised. Police were unable to locate the individual.
Disturbance—6:47 p.m.—Aster and Basswood—The caller said a group of juveniles, 12 to 13 years old, were skateboarding on people’s properties. Police were unable to locate the juveniles.
Transient—10:10 p.m.—Pacific Coast Highway—The caller said an individual who was apparently a transient was sleeping beside a trash bin near the urgent care facility near Zoeter Field. Police unit 207 interviewed him in the field.
Wednesday, April 29
Disturbance—1:11 p.m.—Montecito Road—The caller said a man was behind the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos branch of the Orange County Public Library, yelling at juveniles on skateboards and lifting up his shirt. The caller said the man was present with a woman. Police unit M7 advised him to stop creating a disturbance and he said he would comply.
Petty Theft Report—4:34 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said that sometime within the previous 20 minutes, someone took her purse out of her cart in the parking lot as she was loading groceries into her car. Loss: cash, credit cards, identification, cell phone, etc. Report taken.
Welfare Check—4:11 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller contacted 911 on his cell phone to report a puppy inside a vehicle with the windows barely rolled down. The vehicle was gone when police arrived.
Thursday, April 30
Vehicle Burglary—11:05 a.m.—Island View Drive—Sometime between 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, and the time of the call to police, someone ransacked the caller’s vehicle. The loss was unknown at the time of the call. An old cell phone might have been stolen. Report taken.
Vehicle Burglary—12:17 p.m.—Lampson Avenue—Someone apparently broke into a vehicle between 9 a.m. and the time of the call to police. Loss: possibly the victim’s purse. The call was canceled prior to the dispatch of a police vehicle when the reporting citizen called back to say that the victim was leaving. So far, the victim’s only known losses were her purse and reading glasses. Nothing else was inside her purse.
Friday, May 1
Traffic Stop—1:50 a.m.—Seventh Street and Bellflower—Police unit 207 apparently stopped an individual who was apparently driving without a vaid license. Details of the incident were blacked out in the log. Police stood by for a licensed driver. The driver of the stopped vehicle was released to a family member with a valid Caifornia Driver’s License.
IN LEISURE WORLD
Thursday, April 23
Identity Theft—12:49 p.m.—Kenwood Road—Someone tried to open a bank account using the caller’s information. Report taken.
Tuesday, April 30
Terrorist Threat—2:57 p.m.—Golden Rain Road—The caller said a woman threatened to blow up a building if she didn’t get her antibiotics. Report taken.
