Police Files

Burglar enters home on Cliff Drive, alarm sounds saving residents from loss

A residential burglary was reported to Newport Beach Police yesterday, May 20, occurring in the 500 block of Cliff Drive.

Sometime around midnight on Tuesday, May 18, while the victims were away, an unknown suspect accessed the side of the house through an unsecured side gate. Once inside the back yard, the suspect used a ladder to access two second story windows. 

The suspect attempted to first pry open one window, breaking a pane. They then moved to the second window and successfully removed a window screen, pried open the window and entered through the upstairs.

Around this time the alarm was activated forcing the suspect to flee the scene.

There was no reported loss and no suspect information is available.

Get that belt on because it’s Click It or Ticket time and the NBPD is on the lookout

The Newport Beach Police Department encourages the public to wear a seat belt and keep children secured in child safety seats.

This year’s Click It or Ticket campaign is from May 24-June 6. During this time, the Newport Beach Police Department will actively look for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes drivers who do not secure children in child safety seats.

“Wearing a seat belt is the easiest and safest way to protect yourself in a vehicle,” Lieutenant Damon Psaros said. “It only takes a few seconds and is your best defense in the event of a crash.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 43 percent (9,466) were not wearing seat belts. In 2019, 620 passengers killed in crashes across California were not wearing a seat belt.

California law requires a child to be properly secured in a car or booster seat in the back seat, until they are at least 8 years of age or at least 4’9” tall. Children under the age of two shall ride in a rear-facing seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. 

California has a primary seat belt law, which allows law enforcement officers to ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt without committing another traffic violation.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.