One individual was arrested Thursday, July 17, during a DUI checkpoint on Seal Beach Boulevard. Last week, the Seal Beach Police Department announced there would be two DUI/driver’s license checkpoints—on Thursday and again on Sunday, July 20. However, SBPD Sgt. Phil Gonshak said the Sunday checkpoint was cancelled due to staff shortages.
Gonshak said one person was arrested and one vehicle was towed for a driver’s license violation.
“Fortunately, we did not make any DUI arrests. I hope this is indicative of responsible driving,” Gonshak said.
According to Gonshak:
• 1,430 cars traveled through the checkpoint
• 286 were screen by officers
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DUI checkpoints have provided the most effective results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies.
Seal Beach worker accused of luring girls online
Staff report
A man who works in Seal Beach was arrested Thursday, July 17, for allegedly attempting to lure underage girls online into sexual encounters.
Over the past several months, the Garden Grove and Cypress police departments have been investigating a man allegedly attempting to contact teenage girls on the Internet for sex. Working together and with the aid of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, the investigators identified Michael Theodore Mordaunt, 45, as their suspect and arrested him last week.
Search warrants were served at his home in Cypress and at his place of work in Seal Beach.
Mordaunt was booked at Orange County Jail, where he remains in custody.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the evidence.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Monday, July 14
Beach—1:05 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—While on duty, police unit 241 contacted an individual described in the log as a transient, who was on the beach at the First Street beach lot. The transient was advised to leave. Police unit 241 checked the beach. Beach cleared. No further police service was necessary.
Municipal Code Violation—7:14 a.m.—Ocean Avenue and First Street—The caller reported some individuals had let their dogs off the leash. The log did not say how many humans or dogs were involved.
Citizen Assist—3:55 p.m.—Main Street—The caller said three minors had bicycles that were chained up in front of the business. They told the caller that they lost the key to the chains, but the caller did not want to lend them bolt cutters without verifying that they owned the bikes. The log said the matter was solved, but provided no additional details.
Tuesday, July 15
Animal Info—1:11 p.m.—Fourth Street—The caller said a blind and deaf dog had made its way into the caller’s residence. The caller asked for animal control officers to respond Message delivered to Long Beach Animal Care Services, which has the contract to provide Seal Beach with animal control services. According to the log, ACS had arrived by 1:24 p.m.
Wednesday, July 16
Grand Theft Report—7:52 p.m.—12th Street—The caller reported the theft of wheels a week earlier. The log did not provide an estimated value of the stolen property. However, to qualify as grand theft the stolen property would have to be worth at least $950. Report taken.
Thursday, July 17
Animal Noise—1:35 a.m.—Sixth Street—The caller reported a dog barking and making noises as though it were frightened. The caller speculated that the dog might have been dumped on the street. Police unit 241 determined that the cause of the noise was three coyotes traveling northbound on Sixth Street, passing Electric Avenue. No further police services were necessary.
Burglary Report—1:16 p.m.—Wisteria Street—The caller came home to find a window and doors open. The home appeared to have been ransacked. Loss: jewelry and sterling. Report taken.
IN LEISURE WORLD
Thursday, July 17
911 Hang-Up—9:19 p.m.—Del Monte Drive, Mutual Unknown—When dispatch called back, no one answered. Police contacted Leisure World Security. They said they would be en route with a key. As it turned out, the resident had dialed 911 by accident. No further police services were necessary.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, July 14
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—12:50 a.m.—Foster Road.
Vandalism Report—8:17 a.m.—Yellowtail Drive.
Found Property—1:03 p.m.—Donovan Road—The caller found a wallet.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—3:04 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive—The caller reported a man and a woman in a pick up truck that had been parked on the street, then moved slowly up and down the street. The caller was concerned about possible casing.
Found Property—5:52 p.m.—Rowena Drive—The caller reported finding a blue jewelry box.
Burglary Report—6:46 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive—This was apparently a residential burglary.
Assist Outside Agency—6:59 p.m.—Harrisburg Road and Kittrick Drive—A deputy assisted county animal control officers with a patrol check for a coyote running around the neighborhood.
Some individuals in a vehicle were chasing the coyote.
Burglary Report—8:14 p.m.—Montecito Road—This was apparently a residential burglary.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—11:44 p.m.—Chaucer Road—A deputy searched for juveniles who were reportedly throwing Tampons and other items at a residence. They had reportedly been there several times that night.
Tuesday, July 15
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—2:22 a.m.—Chianti Drive—The caller’s son reportedly heard someone open the back door. The caller was phoning from the master bathroom. The son was locked in his room.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—2:44 p.m.—Hedwig Road and Wallingsford Road.
Burglary in Progress—4:17 p.m.—Walker Lee Drive—The caller and her neighbor said they just chased two men out of the caller’s residence.
Distubance, Music or Party—11:49 p.m.—Kempton Drive—A caller reported loud music and singing at the location.
Wednesday, July 16
Suspicious Vehicle—6:22 a.m.—Wallingsford Road—The caller reported seeing a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle used by burglary suspects from the previous night.
Illegal Parked Vehicle—7:38 a.m.—Newbury Road—The caller said an oversized motor home had been parked on the street since the previous day. The caller said this was an on-going issue.
Identity Theft—9:04 a.m.—Wallingsford Road.
Identity Theft—9:30 a.m.—Foster Road.
Abandoned Vehicle—2:29 p.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller said a camper attached to an SUV had not been moved in more than five days.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—10:34 p.m.—Foster Road and Copa De Oro Drive—A deputy searched for a woman seen walking down the street with two large bags from a store.
The caller said they have had several burglaries in the area.
Thursday, July 17
Unknown Trouble—12:18 p.m.—Kensington Road.
Identity Theft—12:56 p.m.—Wallingsford Road.
Ted Apodaca of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
