The Seal Beach Police Department Traffic Unit will conduct a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, May 9, at an undisclosed location within the city limits between 7 p.m., May 9, and 3:30 a.m., Saturday, May 10.
Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints are conducted routinely.
In California, this deadly crime led to 774 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver.
“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed lives and resulted in numerous injury crashes harming our friends and neighbors,” said Sgt. Phil Gonshak. Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.
A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent).
Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.
Funding for this checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Man arrested wearing woman’s stolen clothing
Seal Beach Police officers arrested a man for residential burglary Tuesday, May 6, after he was seen wearing the female victim’s clothes.
Her home had been burglarized sometime the night before.
The suspect was identified as Antonio Maitreya Nelton, 41, of Long Beach.
The burglary occurred in the 1600 block of Seal Way, sometime between 9 p.m., May 5, and 6 a.m. May 6. At 8:43 a.m., on May 6, officers observed Nelton wearing women’s clothing while on the 1700 block of Apollo. After contacting Nelton, officers remembered the burglary involving the theft of a woman’s clothes earlier in the morning. According to a statement issued by the Seal Beach Police Department, the officers then spoke with the victim again. The victim told police that Nelton’s attire was her clothing.
Nelton was ultimately arrested, transported and booked into the Seal Beach Jail for California Penal Code 496, possession of stolen property, and California Penal Code 459, residential burglary.
Police are asking witnesses in the case to contact Seal Beach Police Department’s Burglary Detective Mary Martinez by phone at 562-799-4100, extension-1110 or via email at: mmartinez@sealbeachca.gov.
Crime Log Compiled by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Tuesday, April 29
Hazard—9:06 a.m.—Avalon Drive—The caller said a tree was down as the result of the wind and resting on wires in Gum Grove Park. Her power was out. She did not know if the outage was related to the tree on the wires. Seal Beach Public Works Department told the Police Department they would respond.
Unknown Trouble—6:07 p.m.—Ocean Avenue—The caller said people kept screaming for Lifeguards. The caller could only say that the trouble was at the river’s entrance.
It turned out a woman had broken her ankle on the rocks. The call was transferred to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Wednesday, April 30
Found Property—9:46 a.m.—Ocean Avenue—Police unit 443 apprantly found a surfboard. Report taken.
Suspicious Person—4:01 p.m.—Electric Avenue and Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a man was laying on the grass, talking to himself. Police unit 107 found a construction worker taking a break. No further police services were necessary.
IN LOS?ALAMITOS
Friday, April 11
Medical Aid—11:56 a.m.—Cerritos Avenue—The caller reported a student having a hard time breathing, and that student suffered an injury in the health office. The student was transported to Los Alamitos Medical Center. Patrol assisted.
Monday, April 14
Welfare Check—12:52 p.m.—Oak Street—The caller reported that a woman was on the roof of the apartment complex. The caller thought she was yelling, but didn’t see her at the time of the call. The caller said the window screen from the woman’s bedroom was on the roof and that the women lives in the complex with her mother. The woman in question told police that said she was hearing noises coming from her neighbor’s unit, and that she was cleaning her windows. Patrol left a message for her mother.
Tuesday, April 15
Disturbance—4:14 a.m.—Katella Avenue—The caller reported a man being argumentative with hospital staff and that he was trying to leave. He didn’t have a ride, so the staff would not let him leave. He was transported home and left in the care of his girlfriend. Patrol assisted.
Wednesday, April 16
Drunk—2:42 a.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard—The caller was a man who said he was naked in the back of a cab. He said he was afraid for his life, and didn’t know where he was located. Patrol assisted him with directions back to Hermosa Beach.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, April 28
Identity Theft—8:03 p.m.—Wendy Way.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—10:36 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive—A deputy searched for a man who was reportedly just sitting against a tree a few houses down from the caller’s location.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—11:25 p.m.—Rowena Drive—A deputy searched for a truck parked down from the given location. The unspecified number of individuals inside the truck were reportedly lighting up something inside the vehicle. The caller thought there was drug activity on the street, wict several vehicles coming and going.
Wednesday, April 30
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—9:17 a.m.—Montecito Road—A deputy searched for a car that had been in the neighborhood since 8 a.m. The man in the car reportedly left when the he saw the caller pull into her driveway.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—12:43 p.m.—Huntley Drive—The caller saw two individuals, one a young man and the other a young woman, leaving the caller’s backyard. The caller didn’t know if they just his wall to hop over to get to the street or for some other reason. The caller did not know if anything was missing.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—6:22 p.m.—Donnis Road—A man in his 30s or 40s was screaming at an elderly man and was seen dragging the elder man into the house.
Thursday, May 1
Traffic Hazard—1:23 p.m.—Harrisburg Road and Coleridge Drive—The caller reported a 30-foot tree branch hanging down.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—6:03 p.m.—Salmon Drive—The caller said a man had been sitting in a vehicle for over an hour. The caller felt this was suspicious because the man was unfamiliar to the area.
Suspicious Person in Vehicle—9:38 p.m.—Chianti Drive and Kempton Drive.
Friday, May 2
Illegal Parked Vehicle—7:28 p.m.—Oak Knoll Drive—A deputy searched for a parked car that was blocking the sidewalk.
Citizen Assist—8:09 p.m.—Foster Road—The caller said a student was harassing the caller’s daughter at school.
Saturday, May 3
Disturbance, Mechanical—4:05 a.m.—Montecito Road—The caller (who was in Seal Beach) ) heard loud, repetitive pounding coming from across the street and to the south of caller’s location. The caller did not know if the sound was related to a house that was being remodeled on the street.
Suspicious Vehicle—8:55 a.m.—Chesney Drive and Kensington Road.
Disturbance—9:13 p.m.—Foster—According to the caller, six juveniles were skateboarding on the roof of the school.
Reckless Driving—10:07 p.m.—Woodstock Road—A deputy searched for a group of juveniles who were riding motorized scooters too fast on the street.
Sunday, May 4
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—1:39 a.m.—Piedmont Avenue.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—7:35 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive.
Ted Apodaca of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
