Rossmoor Traffic Stop Causes Neighborhood Stir

Police action in Rossmoor caused a bit of a stir in the neighborhood Wednesday after three men were detained and questioned following a traffic stop.

Several patrol cars from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Los Alamitos Police Department detained a car near the intersection of Silver Fox Road and Yellowtail Drive with a trio inside of it. The show of force captured attention in a Rossmoor neighborhood on high alert because of recent burglaries. However, the incident turned out to be minor, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Steve Gil.

Gil said the owner of the vehicle was given a ticket for a vehicle code violation, though Gil said he didn't have the name of the alleged code violation.

All three men were released following a field investigation, and the vehicle was towed. Los Alamitos Police Department officers also assisted in the incident.

According to Rebecca Lara, a co-founder of the Rossmoor Predator Management Team -- who alerted Patch to the incident -- a witness allegedly saw the three men walking through the neighborhood taking notes or writing things down.

The witness said he thought it was suspicious and called the sheriff’s department.

Gil said he had no information on “the circumstances that lead up to the traffic stop.”

In an email, Lara and her husband David -- who co-founded the team -- thanked the Rossmoor resident who alerted them to the incident. 

"Due to the number of burglaries on Yellowtail, the residents are extremely vigil and are on alert for all suspicious activity," the email read. 

According to Lara, all three men were detained in separate police vehicles during questioning.