BRIEFLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY

Irvine woman charged in Candace Tift deathAn Irvine woman has been charged in the death of Candace Tift, an Eastbluff Elementary School teacher who was killed in a bicycling accident in August.

Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Janene Johns, 52, with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and driving under the influence. She is set to be arraigned on Jan. 29 in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.

Tift, 31, died Aug. 24, one day after a car allegedly driven by Johns hit her bicycle from behind while she was riding on West Coast Highway and walking her dog on a leash. Tift, who taught fourth- and fifth-graders at Eastbluff since 2003, left behind a husband and 1-year-old son.

Five arrests in robbery of pizza delivery manCosta Mesa Police have arrested five people suspected of robbing a delivery man of his pizzas Tuesday night as he tried to enter an apartment complex in the 2800 block of Fairview Road. Police arrested Oscar Palomo-Capacho, 27, and Oscar Gutierrez, 24, both of Santa Ana;, Daniel Alvarez, 21, of Costa Mesa; and two boys from Costa Mesa, 15 and 17, on suspicion of robbery and possession of stolen property. They also arrested alleged getaway car driver Chesnarda Ramos, 21, of Santa Ana, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, police said.

A 25-year-old driver for Tony Maroni’s Famous Pizza in Costa Mesa called police at about 10:58 p.m. Tuesday, reporting a group of men had confronted him in front of the Villa Sienna apartment complex. The men threatened the driver with violence, and one suspect put his hand in his pocket as though he had a weapon. The driver did not actually see a weapon, police said.

The victim gave up his three pizzas to his alleged assailants, and they fled in a small grey vehicle driven by a woman fitting Ramos’ description, police said.

Officers saw a similar vehicle in the 1000 block of El Camino Drive, so they stopped it and investigated. Police said they found portions of the pizzas in the vehicle.

The pizza man identified the suspects as the robbers, police said.

The adult men were being held Wednesday in lieu of $100,000 bail at Costa Mesa Jail. The juveniles were booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, then released to their parents. Ramos was taken to Orange County Jail, where she is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police seek leads for suspected child stalkerA 12-year-old Costa Mesa girl walking on Wilson Street near Harbor Boulevard was approached by a suspicious man in a black Nissan Altima Wednesday, police said.

A man pulled into a driveway in front of the girl at about 2 p.m. Wednesday and asked if she wanted a ride, police said.

When she refused and walked away, he pulled up again and asked her age.

She declined again and walked into the Albertson’s parking lot at 2300 Harbor Blvd.

Police described him as Asian or Latino, 20 to 30 years, clean-shaven with short dark hair, and wearing a black shirt.

Anyone having information on this or similar incidents is encouraged to call Det. Kevin Condon at (714) 754-5361.