At 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, a resident in the 1600 block of Highland Drive called the Police Department to report suspicious activity. The caller saw three individuals jump over a fence and run from the backyard of a neighbor’s home after activating the burglary alarm there. The three individuals had then entered a red Mercedes Benz sedan and driven away.
The officer who responded to the home noted that there were pry marks on a door frame and that the rear sliding screen door had been opened. The residence was unoccupied and it did not appear that the suspects had been able to enter the home. When the resident returned a short time later, she verified that the contents of the home were undisturbed. The damage to the door frame is estimated at $800.
Within five minutes of the original call, an officer spotted the suspect vehicle on Irvine Avenue. He followed the vehicle and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on Mesa Drive. The suspects failed to yield and a short pursuit ensued. As the suspects approached the area of Newport Blvd and the 55 Freeway, the officer used a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver to disable the suspect vehicle, which came to rest in the #2 lane of Newport Boulevard. There, Newport Beach Police Officers were assisted by staff from the Costa Mesa Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as the suspects were taken into custody at gunpoint without incident.
Officers searched the suspect vehicle and found a loaded handgun on the floorboard and an unloaded assault rifle in the trunk (photo provided), along with multiple items of stolen property. Officers were able to determine that the firearms and other items had been stolen in a residential burglary in the city of Costa Mesa, approximately one hour prior to the incident in Newport Beach. Officers also found burglary tools – two large screwdrivers with bent heads – inside the vehicle.
Arrested:
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WALTER SCOTT HORNE, Male Black, 37-year-old resident of Los Angeles
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Charges: possession of burglary tools, attempted residential burglary, conspiracy, possession of a stolen loaded firearm, possession of a firearm with a prior felony conviction, and possession of stolen property.
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Bail set at $50,000
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JEFFREY HANNEY, Male Black, 23-year-old resident of Los Angeles
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Charges: possession of burglary tools, attempted residential burglary, conspiracy, possession of a stolen loaded firearm, and possession of stolen property
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Bail set at $50,000
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DAVION JASPER, Male Black, 24-year-old resident of Los Angeles
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Charges: possession of burglary tools, attempted residential burglary, conspiracy, possession of a stolen loaded firearm, possession of stolen property, felony evading, and an outstanding warrant for driving on a suspended license
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Bail set at $80,000 ($50,000 + $30,000 for the warrant)
