At least 15 vehicle windows smashed today in neighborhood
Man arrested, goods from vehicles found, authorities say.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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LAKE FOREST – An early-morning burglary spree left 15 vehicles with smashed windows in a residential neighborhood today, and one person is in custody after he was apprehended with loot in hand, authorities said.

A 19-year-old Lake Forest man was taken into custody holding several GPS units and other items believed to have been taken from cars in the residential neighborhood. Most of the stolen property has been recovered, something that was made possible in part by neighbors’ quick reporting of the incidents, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff' Department.

That’s good news for Mike Silverberg, who found the passenger’s side window of his car broken and his wife’s birthday present missing.

“I didn’t think she’d find it in the car,” Silverberg said. The birthday present, a couple of necklace pendants he hid in the center console of his car, were the only things stolen from his car. “Maybe we’ll get her present back.”

Deputies were called to the 21400 block of Calle de Oro at about 3:30 a.m. after one resident reported her car’s back window had been broken, said Lt. Mike Jansen.

Deputies searched the area and found an additional four vehicles with broken windows by 6 a.m., Jansen said.

By 8 a.m., deputies had found at least 15 cars with similar damage, Amormino said. Many of those cars were also found along Via del Rio and Calle de Oro.

Using a description that a neighbor provided to deputies, authorities took 19-year-old Michael Scaminaci, of Lake Forest, into custody, he said.

Scaminaci was found on Trabuco Road carrying three portable GPS units, a camera, a cordless drill and cash, Amormino said.

Deputies also found a BB gun, which is believed to have been used to break the cars’ windows, Amormino said.

Bill Donohoe, a 63-year-old resident, said the back window of his Cadillac Escalade was broken. Deputies told him they believe Scaminaci climbed through the broken window and scratched his stomach, but nothing appears to have been taken from the SUV, Donohoe said.

“There was nothing there to take,” said Donohoe, adding he tries not to leave any valuables in his car. “There’s just a really expensive broken window.”

Amormino said deputies were able to respond quickly to the area and find a suspect because residents, who have an active neighborhood watch program, reported the incidents quickly and provided a description of a suspect.

This is the second time in a month that vehicles have been burglarized in the same neighborhood, he said.

Both times, a suspect has been apprehended and property has been recovered, Amormino said.