6 arrested in Costa Mesa probation sweep

Costa Mesa police arrested six probationers Wednesday evening during a check on former inmates to make sure they’re abiding by the terms of their release, according to the Police Department.

Officers in Costa Mesa periodically partner with the Orange County Probation Department to run citywide sweeps of people on probation. The agencies started teaming up for the operations after California’s prison realignment program started in 2011.

Realignment placed certain nonviolent and low-risk offenders under local supervision instead of the state’s in an attempt to ease prison crowding.

On Wednesday evening, officers checked on 13 probationers and arrested almost half of them on suspicion of probation violations, according to a news release.

Two are connected to open criminal cases in Costa Mesa, police said. One is a felony domestic violence case and the other involves criminal threats, child abuse and assault, according to the news release.

The four other arrests were related to drugs or outstanding warrants on previous probation violations, police said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck