Woman arrested after car break-in

Laguna Beach police arrested a San Juan Capistrano woman after another woman reported her purse stolen from a parked minivan Monday night.

Heidi Nicole Serna, 40, was arrested on suspicion of burglary, false identification to officers and a warrant for contempt of court, Capt. Jason Kravetz wrote in an email.

At 6:53 p.m. Monday a woman reported to police that someone shattered her Volkswagen Routan window and stole a purse from inside the vehicle, which was parked on South Coast Highway near Diamond Street, while she was away for 20 minutes, police said.

A resident near the area reported that a “strange woman was crouching behind vehicles and going through a purse,” Kravetz said.

Officers arrived and met with Serna, who had the purse and items possibly used to break a car window, police said.

Investigators will look into whether Serna is involved in other recent window-smashing burglaries, Kravetz said.

Serna pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance in November 2006, according to the Orange County Superior Court website.

Her sentence included three years probation, 90 days in Orange County Jail and enrollment in a drug program, the court said.

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