POLICE FILES - Sept. 8, 2000

COSTA MESA

* Federal Avenue: Roving thieves on bicycles paid a visit to a home in

the 1900 block at about 1 p.m. Aug. 31. A pair of young men swooped in,

snatched a Skil saw and two drills that were left unattended and made a

quick escape. This is apparently not their only crime; suspects matching

their description have also been seen “stealing Razor scooters,

skateboards and bicycles,” according the police report.

* Baker Street: An unknown thief treated the owner of a BMW to a taste

of the stereotypical Orange County burglary the evening of Aug. 30. While

the owner of the car hung around at Shooter’s in the 700 block, the thief

perused the contents of the unlocked car and selected a Nokia cellular

phone to take home.

NEWPORT BEACH

* Orange Street and Seashore Drive: While an unsuspecting surfer went

out into the ocean to carve up a few waves just after 7 p.m. Tuesday,

criminal minds were pursuing different goals. The soggy victim returned

to find his wallet had been lifted from his pants.

* MacArthur Boulevard: It doesn’t sound like a particularly obvious

choice for theft, but a company’s telephone system control box in the

1600 block was irresistible for a high-tech hoodlum during the Labor Day

holiday weekend. Employees, upon entering a locked utility room, found

nothing but a few wires where the control box had been neatly removed

from the wall.