Razor blade planter avoids prison

The 22-year-old Mission Viejo woman who pleaded guilty in February to

planting razorblades at several South Orange County playgrounds,

including Main Beach Park, received probation rather than prison time

at her sentencing Monday.

Main Beach Park was the first hit in Lori Elizabeth Fischer’s

six-week razorblade-planting spree from late April to early June last

year. She reported the crime herself to the Laguna Beach Police

Department at 4 a.m. April 27, calling herself “Dani,” Sgt. Jason

Kravetz said. Police found 17 razorblades buried throughout the park,

and Kravetz added that Fischer returned to Main Beach in May, leaving

only a “cryptic” note claiming they’d never catch her.

Fischer, who spent nearly a year in jail, was given five years of

formal probation and taken Tuesday to Del Amo Hospital in Torrance, a

short-term psychiatric facility, by her parents. The Orange County

district attorney’s office requested an 11-year prison term, and

Deputy Dist. Atty. Karen Schatzle feels the court made a mistake.

“She may not pose a threat if she gets treatment,” Schatzle said,

“but borderline personality disorder is difficult to treat, and I

don’t think she’s ready to re-enter the community. We feel the

community would have been better served if she were treated behind

bars. She’s an angry woman.”

The probation department and sheriff’s department both disagreed

with the district attorney, recommending probation and mental-health

treatment for Fischer.

Schatzle added that had one child been injured by a razorblade

planted by Fischer, probation wouldn’t have been an option.

After using the name “Dani” in her calls to the Laguna Beach

Police Department, Fischer claimed after her capture that a “Chris”

had been committing the crimes, Kravetz said.

Repeatedly picked on as a child, Fischer said “Chris” was trying

to protect her from children and “Dani” fought to protect children,

Kravetz said. He said the department interviewed quite a few Danis

and Danielles before Fischer was arrested in June at a Mission Viejo

park.

“Lori Fischer was removed from the streets for a year,” Kravetz

said. “As long as she receives treatment for her multiple

personalities, then everybody should be fine. As far as sentencing

goes, we leave it up to them.”

Reading from a prepared statement in the Santa Ana courtroom

Monday, Fischer expressed remorse for her crimes.

“I hope that in time, the community can forgive me for what I

did,” she said.