At OC Beaches, 4th Of July Relatively Uneventful For Law Enforcement
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Independence Day celebrations at popular Orange County beaches were relatively uneventful for law enforcement, officials said Friday.
Officials said arrest numbers came close to those of the previous year, with no major incidents.
About 123 people were arrested in Newport Beach, a number authorities said was typical for the area.
"Overall our day was uneventful," said Lt. Jon Lewis of the Newport Beach Police Department."We had large crowds, large volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, but they were generally well-behaved."
The majority of those arrested were accused of being drunk in public.
In Huntington Beach, 23 of the 28 arrests were alcohol related, though officials said fewer people were taken into custody this year than the previous year.
One man was tackled by an officer on the pier as he tried to jump off during the finale of the fireworks show.
One of the most serious incidents happened in Huntington Beach Friday, when a 3-year-old was rushed to the hospital after reportedly suffering second degree burns on his back, legs and feet.
Witnesses said the toddler was reaching for a toy that had fallen into a beach fire pit when he was burned by remnants still smoldering in the pit. He was taken to the burn unit at UC Irvine Medical Center.
