SeeCalifornia.com

Photo at Seal Beach shows unattended baby stroller, several towels, several pairs of shoes and a big backpack, beach bag/purse, plus unseen contents.

When my family moved to California from a small town in Midwest, my sister had her first rude awakening that “you’re not in Kansas” after she and her new high school boyfriend snoozed on the beach one summer day. They woke up to see that my sister’s shoes had been stolen right off her beach blanket! Not only are thieves cunning and swift, they are also persistent. Read on…

On May 27, 2013, a motorcycle officer was flagged down near the beach in Huntington Beach regarding the theft of a backpack that had just occurred. Beach Patrol officers were provided a description of the suspect who was located a short time later still in possession of the backpack and its contents. The suspect was arrested. The backpack was returned to the owner, and after the officers’ investigation, the 19 year-old suspect from Anaheim was released from custody with a scheduled court date.

Saturday afternoon, Beach Patrol recognized the same subject on the beach. He was walking along the sand and occasionally sitting next to towels with unattended backpacks and other property, trying to blend into the crowds. The officers contacted him and determined he was in possession of a stolen mobile phone. The officers called the owner of the mobile phone who said it had been stolen from the beach earlier in the morning near Tower 1. Officers arrested Ryan Michael Moretto again, and booked him in the Huntington Beach city jail for possession of stolen property. The stolen mobile phone was returned to the owner.