Civilian tip leads to arrest

A Huntington Beach man arrested by Irvine police on suspicion of having stolen property pleaded not guilty to five felonies and a misdemeanor this week.

Irvine police credited a resident tip and increased patrols to the June 6 arrest of Brian Ryan, 37.

He pleaded not guilty Monday to one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of possession of a gun by a felon, one felony count of unauthorized use of personal identification, one felony count of unlawfully taking a vehicle and a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphenalia, court records show.

Police said they arrested Ryan about 9:30 p.m. after an officer patrolling the storage area where the activity was reported saw him working on a partially stripped motorcycle and found evidence of possible criminality.

Police arrested him on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, receiving known stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, being a felon in possession of a firearm, vehicle theft and identity theft.

The officer, assigned to curb property theft, had added the area to his patrol after talking to the tipster. Police declined to specify the location of the storage unit.

Ryan’s arrest was one of several reported in June as a result of tips from residents and specialized patrols aimed at stopping property theft, Irvine police said.

In the past two weeks, Irvine police arrested seven people on suspicion of car hopping, or going car to car looking to steal items from unlocked vehicles, according to Lt. Julia Engen.

In that same time period, residents have helped police in eight different incidents in which 12 people were arrested, she said.

She credited residents’ vigilance along with the additional patrols for the recent arrests.

“All these guys had these great instincts,” Engen said of residents who reported suspicious behavior.

Ryan is next expected in court on June 18 for a pre-trial hearing and remains in custody.