POLICE BRIEFS

--Angelique Flores and Eron Ben-Yehuda

COUNTERFEIT OPERATION BUST

Investigators seized one of the country’s largest hauls of counterfeit

computer mice in Huntington Beach last week, police said.

About 26,000 fake Microsoft devices valued at about $1 million were

discovered Friday at a self-storage unit near the corner of Magnolia

Street and Warner Avenue, Westminster Police Sgt. Marcus Frank said. He

declined to be more specific on the location.

A surveillance operation tracking stolen shoes led to the bust, he said.

A team of detectives made up of Westminster police, U.S. Customs

officials and FBI agents obtained a warrant to search a toy company,

which led them to the port of Long Beach and finally to the storage

facility, he said.

No arrests have been made, he said.

FIRE DESTROYS CONDO

A fire erupted Sunday in a Huntington Beach condominium complex that

resulted in no injuries but $100,000 damage, a city official said.

At about 1 a.m., about 20 firefighters arrived at a six-unit, two-story

building in the 17100 block of Blue Water Lane, said Birgit Davis,

spokeswoman for the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

The blaze, extinguished in 20 minutes, began after residents left a

picture frame leaning against a burning furnace, she said. The fire

totally destroyed the home and a unitabove, she said.

Ten people were evacuated, but none were hurt, she said. The building

suffered $75,000 worth of structural damage, and $25,000 worth of

personal belongings were lost, she said.

JOY RIDE LEADS TO 3 TEENS’ ARREST

Three teens driving cars believed to be stolen were caught in the 15900

block of Clarendon Street in Fountain Valley at 9:35 a.m. Thursday. One

suspect is still at large.

Fountain Valley Police Department responded to a call of four males

urinating on the street in the 15900 block of Meagher Street. Officers

saw the suspects leaving the area in a blue 1992 Honda Civic and white

1995 Honda Civic.

Police stopped one car in the 15900 block of Clarendon Street and the

other at Garland and Cloverdale avenues in Westminster. A suspect in the

car that was stopped on Clarendon ran from police.

One of the Hondas was reported stolen Jan. 11, and the other was reported

stolen Jan. 13 from Los Angeles County.

Two of the suspects are teenage boys, ages 15 and 17, from Long Beach.

The other suspect, 18-year-old Lae Thing Thongphun, is also from Long

Beach.

The three suspects were arrested for auto theft. The juveniles were

booked into the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Thongphun will be booked

into the Orange County Jail and his bail was set at $10,000.

DRIVER ARRESTED IN HIT-AND-RUN

Police have arrested a suspected hit-and-run driver who injured a

77-year-old woman.

Van Nguyen, 39, of Costa Mesa is believed to be responsible for the

accident that occurred at 2:15 p.m. Jan. 6 at Brookhurst Street, north of

Niagara River Avenue.

Nguyen is suspected of hitting Guadalupe Garcia of Santa Ana,who was

crossing the street. Garcia was left with a fractured left arm.

Nguyen fled from the scene and was later arrested and booked into the

county jail with bail set at $10,000.

The pedestrian was determined to be at fault because she was not crossing

at a crosswalk and failed to yield the right of way to the vehicle, said

Sgt. Jim Perry of the Fountain Valley Police Department.