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Masked robbers targeted diners at a fancy South Coast Plaza restaurant

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Diners at the Seasons52 Restaurant at the South Coast Plaza were shocked on Monday night, Nov. 22, when a group of people, including one that may have been armed with a handgun, ran onto the restaurant’s patio and ordered everyone to get down on the floor. The robbers stole a purse before they got away.

The Costa Mesa Police Department got calls about an armed robbery at the South Coast Plaza just prior to 7:15 pm.

According to witness reports three to five people wearing masks and dressed in black clothes entered the restaurant’s patio and told everyone to get down. After stealing the purse, they fled in a white four-door Buick and headed southbound on Bristol Street.

One robbery victim apparently lost a family heirloom.

The police investigators do not know how many people were on the patio during the robbery. No arrests have been made.

Armed robbers have been targeting South Coast Plaza customers

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You might have heard about the incident earlier this month in Beverly Hills, when an armed robber stole a $500K gold Richard Mille watch from a jeweler dining at an upscale restaurant, Il Pastaio. That robbery took place in the afternoon and the robber ended up discharging his weapon, wounding an innocent bystander. Now similar incidents are happening at South Coast Plaza, here in Orange County.

Two customers were accosted by a couple of armed robbers in ski masks in the parking lot of South Coast Plaza on Saturday, March 27. The robbers took off with their wallets and watches, according to the Costa Mesa Police. As happened in Beverly Hills the brazen robberies took place in broad daylight at about 2 p.m..

Ten minutes later the police got another call regarding an identical robbery in the very same parking lot. In that case two young men in black knit ski masks too valuables from the victims.

The robbers jumped into a maroon colored SUV that had a woman driver and took off before the police could arrive.

No one was injured in the two robbery incidents. The police were not certain as to the value of the stolen items.

Police in Los Angeles have noticed this as a trend involving victims wearing expensive high-end watches who are targeted by armed robbers, particularly in the west side of Los Angeles. There have been more than a half dozen of these armed robberies.

The LAPD has arrested two suspects who are thought to be part of an organized robbery crew but others in the crew are still out there.

One has to wonder if the robbers at the South Coast Plaza are copycats or new robbers, perhaps locals?

Fullerton woman pleads guilty to vandalizing the South Coast Plaza’s Maggiano’s restaurant

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Laglennda Damona Carr, a 25-year-old woman from Fullerton, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Nov. 5, and was immediately sentenced to 200 hours of community service and 45 days in jail for badly damaging the Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant at the South Coast Plaza in a rampage on Oct. 5, 2019, at 11:40 a.m.

Carr was also placed on two years of formal probation and ordered to participate in an anger-management program, according to the O.C. Register.

Carr accepted felony charges including vandalism and conspiracy and misdemeanor counts of wearing a mask as a disguise during a crime and resisting arrest.

Her co-defendant, Passion Shenay Coleman, was a former employee of the restaurant she and Carr wrecked, the Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant at the South Coast Plaza, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The two suspects arrived at the restaurant at about 11:40 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2019 and after entering they vandalized a television, table settings and plates. Coleman also made threats and threw a plate at a restaurant employee before she left.

The attack was so grievous that the restaurant was compelled to to cancel a dinner reservations that night.

Looters may be targeting the South Coast Plaza tonight

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An unnamed protest group has announced that they will be gathering today, June 1, at 8 p.m. at South Coast Drive and Bear St., in Costa Mesa.

That may be a bad idea on their part as the City of Costa Mesa has been enforcing an 8 p.m. curfew. If there are looters planning to attack the South Coast Plaza I can see the Costa Mesa police arresting them by the busload.

In fact the Costa Mesa police just put out a press release about this:

The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) is aware of flyer circulating on social media that mentions a planned protest at South Coast Drive and Bear Street in Costa Mesa today, Monday. The department is monitoring the situation including social media posts and is taking the necessary steps to protect the city, its businesses, and all those in the city. The CMPD is working closely with its law enforcement partners and continues to provide police services to the city while addressing the situation. 

While CMPD supports the public’s right to peaceably assemble and demonstrate, it does not support vandalism, rioting, and looting. Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Costa Mesa is planning to order another curfew for tonight, Monday, June 1. The City of Costa Mesa and CMPD are committed to keeping its community informed and will share more information on this as it becomes available.

The South Coat Plaza has reacted to this news by announcing “We are saddened by the recent events in our country and care deeply for the safety and well-being of our entire community. Our June 1 reopening has been postponed and a new date will be announced soon. Please check back for updates.”

South Coast Plaza was hoping to have at least 110 merchants open but with limited hours and many amenities sidelined to ease shoppers’ concerns about coronavirus. California’s easing of stay-at-home orders now allows indoor malls to open. The mall closed March 16 after learning a store employee had contracted the virus, according to the O.C. Register.

While the protests are well-intentioned the ensuing riots and looting are now costing our local businesses a fortune in damage and lost sales, on the heels of the still ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic.

Power lost at South Coast Plaza due to an electrical explosion

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There was an explosion in an underground vault at the South Coast Plaza this afternoon and power has been cut to all of the stores, on Black Friday of all days.

Many of the stores at South Coast Plaza have closed temporarily while power is restored.

Mall officials said the partial power outage was caused by SoCal Edison equipment affecting one area of the center, according to ABC.

Power was eventually restored.

This week’s Cochino List includes Santa Ana’s El Tapatio, Hidden House Coffee and the Happy Buffet

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The OC Health Care Agency has released a list of the eateries they inspected and shut down for the week of March 30 – April 6. Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

  • El Tapatio Restaurant, 1214 E. Pomona St., Santa Ana; rodent infestation; closed April 2, reopened April 3.
  • Hidden House Coffee, 511 E. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana; rodent infestation; closed April 3, reopened April 3.
  • Centro de Nutricion, 12627 Westminster Blvd., Santa Ana; lack of power/utilities; closed April 5, reopened April 5.
  • Happy Buffet, 2158 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana; rodent infestation; closed April 4, reopened April 5.
  • Quattro Caffé at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa; cockroach infestation; closed April 6.
  • Saigon 9 Restaurant, 12801 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove; cockroach infestation; closed April 4, reopened April 5.
  • Com Viet, 10131 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove; cockroach infestation; closed April 4.
  • Sweet Origin, 92 Corporate Park, Irvine; operating without a valid health permit; closed April 5, reopened April 5.
  • Big Dan’s Donuts, 252 S. Euclid St., Anaheim; cockroach infestation; closed April 4.
  • Crawfish Cave, 150 S. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton; rodent infestation; closed April 3, reopened April 3.
  • Great China Kitchen, 9904 Katella Ave., Anaheim; cockroach infestation; closed April 3, reopened April 4.
  • Inka Mama’s, 821 Via Suerte Ave., San Clemente; cockroach infestation; closed April 3, reopened April 4.
  • Mas’ Chinese Islamic Restaurant, 601 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Anaheim; cockroach infestation; closed April 3, reopened April 4.
  • La Carreta Supermarket, 4637 E. Chapman Ave., Orange; plumbing in disrepair; closed April 3, reopened April 3.
  • Knowlwood, 5665 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim; cockroach infestation; closed April 3.
  • Curry House, 10953 Meridian Drive, Cypress, sewage overflow; closed March 31, reopened April 1.
  • Sushi World, 10953 Meridian Drive, Cypress; sewage overflow; closed March 31, reopened April 1.

This week’s Cochino List includes the BurgerStop and Dave & Buster’s

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The OC Health Care Agency has released a list of the eateries they inspected and shut down for the week of Feb. 9.-16 Most of these eateries reopen pretty quickly after the health inspectors determine their issues have been resolved. Here is the list:

Continue reading→

Suspect in South Coast Plaza sexual assault arrested after he turned himself in

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Eduardo Vidal Avalos, 20, of Orange was arrested after he turned himself into the SAPD earlier this week, on Thursday, after he was accused of an alleged sexual assault at the South Coast Plaza, according to the O.C Register.

Avalos was booked into Costa Mesa Jail on suspicion of assault with intent to commit a felony and attempted penetration with a foreign object, according to the Costa Mesa police. Continue reading→

Police are looking for a young man who sexually assaulted a woman at the South Coast Plaza

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The Costa Mesa Police are searching for a male believed to be in his late teens to early 20s, who is suspected of sexually assaulting a female yesterday in a parking area at South Coast Plaza, according to the O.C. Register.

Tuesday evening, at around 5:45 p.m., the Costa Mesa police responded to a call about a male suspect who had followed a female to her vehicle in the parking area and then sexually assaulted her. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man arrested after a police pursuit from South Coast Plaza

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Police arrested an unidentified driver on suspicion of DUI, speeding and red-light violations after a high-speed pursuit that began near South Coast Plaza and ended in Santa Ana early today, according to the O.C. Register.

The Costa Mesa police responded initially to the South Coast Plaza due to an alarm that went off. When they got there they heard screeching tires and began to pursue the suspect’s vehicle. Continue reading→

Armed robbers hit the Zara store at the South Coast Plaza

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Two masked men carried out an armed robbery at a clothing store at South Coast Plaza, Zara, at about 10:15 p.m. on Friday night, according to the OC Register.

Employees were held at gunpoint by at least two male suspects. The robbers not only took cash from the registers and a safe, they also took personal items from the employees.  Continue reading→

Smash and grab robbers hit the Rolex store at South Coast Plaza tonight

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The Rolex store at South Coast Plaza was burglarized tonight when at least one suspect smashed a glass case and stole several watches, according to the O.C. Register.

Shoppers reportedly panicked when the incident happened at 8:22 p.m., believing that shots had been fired. However the Costa Mesa Police investigated and determined that no shots were fired. Continue reading→

A 96-foot Christmas tree at the South Coast Plaza was destroyed by a fire early today

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The 96-foot Christmas tree worth $120,000 was destroyed Monday morning in a fire outside the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel, according to the O.C. Register.

Firefighters got a call at 6:34 a.m. that the tree, a 96-foot white fir from Mt. Shasta, was burning, Costa Mesa fire spokesman Capt. Chris Coates said, according to the L.A. Times. Continue reading→

Fairhaven enters Garden Show, marks first ever Memorial Park to enter

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Thoughts in a Garden

FAIRHAVEN BECOMES FIRST MEMORIAL PARK TO PARTICIPATE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SPRING GARDEN SHOW

SANTA ANA, Calif. – April 30, 2013 – Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary became the first memorial park to participate in the historic Southern California Spring Garden Show at South Coast Plaza. To honor the show’s 2013 theme “The Garden as Art,” Fairhaven’s entry is a tribute to Andrew Marvell’s famous 17th Century poem Thoughts in a Garden.

“We selected this work based on its use of the garden as a metaphor for life in all of its depth and complexity,” said Fairhaven Grounds Manager and project designer Jay Rodriguez. “Our goal for this display was to enable viewers to experience life’s many emotions, including peace, conflict, love and loss.” Continue reading→

CASA of O.C. to honor supporters at 25th Anniversary Celebration of Children

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Susan Kirkland 714/619-0641
Lynda Sloan 714/619-5155

CASA of Orange County to Honor Outstanding Supporters at 25th Anniversary “Celebration of Children”

Irvine 2010 – Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of abused children, will honor some of its leading supporters and volunteers at its 25th Anniversary “Celebration of Children”. The gala, celebrating service to abused children in Orange County, will be held at the Irvine Marriott Hotel on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

CASA began with 15 volunteers in 1985 and now has over 700 volunteers serving abused and neglected children as mentors and advocates. CASA is a powerful model for breaking the vicious cycle of child abuse by speaking up for these children who are lost in the overburdened foster care system. It has been voted “Best Place to Volunteer” in Orange County. Continue reading→