Man arrested in botched burglary

Jasmine Lee

COSTA MESA -- A suspected thief was arrested Friday after his alleged

attempt to burglarize a house was thwarted by the resident of the home,

who chased him off with a shotgun, police said.

Jorge Arturo Hernandez, 22, of Anaheim, is accused of breaking into a

home in the 800 block of West Baker Street. Police suspect he was

attempting to steal electronics equipment inside, but he was stopped by

the Costa Mesa man who lives at the residence.

The man arrived at his home at about 2 p.m. and upon discovering the

intruder, retrieved his shotgun. In an attempt to scare Hernandez, he

fired one round into the air, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney.

No one was injured, but the gunshot frightened Hernandez, who then fled

on foot.

Police arrived at the home and searched for Hernandez, who evaded capture

for about three hours, Birney said.

“He was doing a lot of hiding and we were doing a lot of searching,”

Birney said.

Authorities, including Orange County Sheriff’s deputies and blood hounds

from the Irvine Police Department, found Hernandez hiding in a nearby

utility shed.

He is being held in Costa Mesa Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail and is

scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at the Harbor Justice Center.