POLICE FILES - April 27, 2000

-- Compiled by Young Chang and Angelique Flores

The Fountain Valley Police Department has named Lt. Paul Sorrell as the

replacement for Capt. Rod Gillman. Gillman will retirement in June.

Sorrell began his career in law enforcement in 1981 and has advanced

through the ranks from a patrol officer to his current position as the

division commander of the detective bureau.

Pokemon thief is sentenced

A Huntington Beach boy was sentenced to probation last week and ordered

to pay $100 to a schoolmate he ran over with a bike and then stole 150

Pokemon cards from, officials said.

The 14-year-old boy, who officials would not identify because he is a

minor, was also sentenced to community service.

The victim’s family did not want the boy to serve a severe sentence, said

Tori Richards, district attorney spokeswoman.

“Based on them and the lack of a prior criminal record, we felt that this

was the appropriate disposition for this case,’ she said.

Car crashes into canal

A Huntington Beach man was reported to be in critical condition Tuesday

after his car fell into a canal last weekend, officials said.

William R. Riddell, 57, remains at UCI Medical Center’s intensive care

unit, said Kim Pine, the hospital’s spokeswoman.

Riddell reportedly lost control of his 1968 Mercury Cougar and crashed

through a fence into a flood-control channel filled with about 5 1/2 feet

of water Saturday night, officials said.

About 18 firefighters, six lifeguards and police responded to the scene.

The victim went into cardiac and pulmonary arrest immediately after his

rescue, officials said.

The car had features designed for a paraplegic, according to an incident

report from the Huntington Beach Fire Department.