A child drowned Saturday evening in a Mission Viejo community pool, according to authorities.

The parents and friends of the 1-year-old, whose name and gender have not been released, were visiting Sierra Recreation and Fitness Center when the child drowned around 6 p.m., said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito.

Paramedics attempted to revive the child but were unsuccessful, Bommarito said. Lifeguards were on scene.

The Sierra pool was closed until further notice on Monday morning, the city said. An investigation into the drowning is ongoing.

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Authorities on Wednesday sought possible additional victims of a Mission Viejo doctor accused of performing a “fraudulent” breast exam on a patient.

Prosecutors charged David Duncan House, a 59-year-old Tustin resident, with a felony count of sexual battery by fraud and a misdemeanor count of sexual exploitation by a physician.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office originally gave his middle name as Duke, but records on the Medical Board of California’s website, as well as a court order and an updated news release, showed that to be incorrect.

House allegedly touched a female patient inappropriately in several areas of her body during a medical appointment for a skin allergy on Aug. 23, 2016.

The physician conducted an unnecessary breast exam, groping the woman under her dress, according to a DA’s news release.

The victim reported the assault to the California Medical Board, prompting an investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The Attorney General’s Office requested an order on behalf of the Medical Board to restrict House from seeing female patients without a chaperone during the criminal proceedings, OCDA said. A judge granted that order in May 2018.

The doctor specialized in family medicine, according to OCDA.

House could face a maximum sentence of four years in state prison and mandatory registration as a sex offender, the agency said. He was scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 8.

Anyone with information, including potential victims, can contact Supervising Investigator Stan Berry of OCDA’s special prosecutions unit at 714-664-3964.

Two months after her 19-month-old daughter tragically drowned, Morgan Miller shared a heart-wrenching photo so other parents won’t experience the pain she has.

Miller, the wife of decorated Olympic alpine skier Bode Miller, shared a photo of her daughter Emeline “Emmy” Miller hooked up to tubes in a hospital shortly before she died in June after she accidentally fell into a neighbor’s pool.

“I wish I could have one more day to hold you, but until that day comes, continue to work through me and give me the strength to bring awareness, my love,” Miller wrote in the Instagram caption. “I told you as I held you in this moment that you could still change the world, you could still move mountains.”

The couple first spoke out about their daughter’s death in an interview on NBC’s “Today” late last month.

Miller said they were at a neighbor’s home when she realized that Emmy was missing.

“And I opened the door and she was floating in the pool,” Miller said through tears. “And I ran and I jumped in.”

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t pray for the opportunity to go back to that day,” she said.

Now the Millers are working to raise awareness for child drowning prevention, which, after birth defects, is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Children in that age group most often drown in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas.

In a separate Instagram post, Miller warned parents to be aware of the dangers and to be vigilant about watching their children, even if they’re not expected to be near water.

“Always be aware of water and place as many barriers between your child and those bodies of water as possible (locks, door alarms, pool fences),” she wrote. “None of us are immune to this devastatingly life changing statistic.”

“It’s the number one way that you could potentially lose your kid,” Bode Miller told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. “If it’s number one for me, I want to know about it.”

“I think it does, in some way, help to heal a little bit that maybe we’re preventing it from happening to somebody else,” he added.

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with a high-speed crash in Mission Viejo that left a woman dead, authorities announced Friday.

The incident happened on March 25, 2017 around noon near Alicia Parkway and Althea Avenue, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies arrived at the scene and found Judith Noval, 33, unresponsive, the agency said. She was taken to the hospital but never regained consciousness. She was pronounced dead a month after the incident, the Sheriff’s Department said.

According to detectives, Kevin Doaifi was speeding in a Chevrolet Camaro eastbound on Alicia Parkway when he crashed into Noval, who was turning left into Althea Avenue in a 2005 Hyundai Elantra.

They collided at the intersection, investigators said.

The Sheriff’s Department also determined that Doaifi had been previously charged for driving more than 100 mph, and that he had said in court that he understood the dangers of driving at high speeds, the agency said.

Deputies arrested Doaifi, 33, on Friday. He was being held on $1 million bail and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Authorities provided no further information.

A man who admitted to stalking a woman and setting six fires in Mission Viejo has been sentenced to prison, authorities announced Thursday.

Orange County prosecutors said Jack Frye, a former Mission Viejo High School student, stalked his victim in March 2018.

Frye slashed her car tires on March 14, and four days later, he tried to enter her home in Rancho Santa Margarita, the District Attorney’s Office said.

He ignited multiple fires at Mission Viejo High School and one fire at the Kaleidoscope Courtyards shopping center in Mission Viejo between March 28 and April 4, according to OCDA.

Frye unlawfully tried to enter the campus to set a structure ablaze on March 30, prosecutors said. On April 4, he attempted to light a van on fire near the high school before undercover O.C. Sheriff’s Department investigators detained him at the scene, the District Attorney’s Office said.

In May, Frye tried to call his victim several times and write her a letter from Orange County Jail, officials alleged.

Frye, a 19-year-old Lake Forest resident, pleaded guilty in July to one felony count of stalking, six counts of arson, two counts of attempted arson and one count each of attempted first-degree burglary and attempted second-degree burglary. He also entered guilty pleas for two misdemeanor counts of disobeying court order and one count of vandalism under $400.

He received a four-year state prison sentence on Wednesday.

The O.C. Sheriff’s Department and Fire Authority investigated the case.

Officials provided no further information.

Orange County deputies arrested two men on suspicion of stealing $20,000 worth of tools and equipment found stashed in a Mission Viejo homeless encampment, officials said Friday.

Joseph Eberhardt, 40, and Randall Prince, 58, who were living at the encampment, are being held without bail at the Orange County Jail, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Inmate records show they were taken into custody Oct. 3.

The items stolen included drills, hammers, levels, socket wrenches, amongst other equipment. Several of the items found were found with labels from the Capistrano Unified School District, officials said.

The district filed a report in August about multiple of their utility vans being burglarized.

On Oct. 3, deputies contacted Eberhardt and Prince, who they said were living in an encampment near Avery Parkway and Camino Capistrano.

The deputies said both men were in violation of their probation with outstanding warrants.

Sheriff’s personnel performed a final walkthrough on Tuesday and Thursday with representatives from the school district to make sure all the potentially stolen items were collected.

An estimated $8,000 worth of tools and equipment were recovered and returned to the school district, officials said.

The school’s chief communication officer, Ryan Burris, said the school district is grateful for the Sheriff’s Department’s service.

“The return of these valuable tools was a surprise and just one example of the incredible work they perform every day to keep our students, families, schools, and communities safe,” Burris said.

Chief of Police Services in Mission Viejo Lt. Quyen Vuong said the department’s South Homeless Outreach Team proactively engages with homeless people to connect them to community resources.

“We have to balance outreach with enforcement and these arrests point to the team’s valuable role in keeping our community safe,” Vuong said.

Drugged driving is suspected after a car struck and seriously injured a Costa Mesa fire captain as he rode his bike on Saturday morning, authorities said.

Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Capt. Mike Kreza. (Credit: Costa Meda Fire & Rescue)

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Capt. Mike Kreza was fighting for his life at a hospital following the collision, which took place about 8 a.m. on Alicia Parkway, near Via Burgos, the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Departments said in a joint statement.

Witnesses relayed that Kreza was riding his bike east along Alicia Parkway when he was hit, officials said. The driver remained at the scene.

Investigators determined the driver, 25-year-old Stephen Taylor Scarp, was under the influence of drugs and arrested him on suspicion of felony DUI, the statement said. "Multiple prescription medications were in his vehicle."

Kreza is an 18-year veteran of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, according to the agency. He was training for the Ironman Arizona race when he was hit.

“Our entire Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue family is immensely saddened by the news that one of our own was involved in an accident this morning," Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Chief Dan Stefano said.

"We are working together to support the family and each other," he said. "We appreciate the strong showing of support from our brothers and sisters of the Orange County fire services and law enforcement agencies that have reached out to assist us during this difficult time for our fire family. Please continue to keep Captain Mike Kreza, his wife and children in your thoughts and prayers.”

A fund to help the captain's family has been set up online at gofundme.com/the-kreza-family-fund.

Scarp's bail has been set at $100,000 pending his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Orange County booking records show.

A man suspected of driving under the influence of drugs when he fatally struck an off-duty fire captain riding a bicycle in Mission Viejo last week was charged with murder on Tuesday, according to Orange County authorities.

The felony murder charge filed against Stephen Taylor Scarpa, 25, was announced in a news release from the Orange County District Attorney and Sheriff's Department. If convicted, Scarpa faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison.

Scarpa appeared in court on Tuesday, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and standing behind metal gating as his attorney stood before him and spoke with the judge. His bail has been set at $1 million.

The judge granted Scarpa's request to continue the arraignment to Nov. 30.

The deadly crash that killed Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Captain Mike Kreza happened just after 8 a.m. this past Saturday. The 44-year-old captain was an 18-year veteran of the department.

Scarpa was allegedly under the influence of "multiple controlled substances" when he was driving a van eastbound along Alicia Parkway near Via Burgos that morning, prosecutors and sheriff's officials said in the news release. Officials did not specify what drugs Scarpa is accused of consuming.

Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Capt. Mike Kreza is seen with his family in an image posted to GoFundMe on Nov. 3, 2018.

He is accused of driving the van into the bike lane and then onto the sidewalk before striking Kreza, officials said.

Kreza was left unconscious and suffering from severe trauma to his head and body, authorities said. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Meanwhile, several prescription medications were found inside the driver's vehicle by investigators at the scene, according to authorities. A drug recognition expert from the Sheriff's Department arrested Scarpa after evaluating him.

His bail was set at $100,000 pending his Tuesday court appearance, records showed.

Hours after the crash, firefighters and sheriff's officials came together to hold a candlelight vigil for Kreza as he continued fighting for his life.

On Monday, Kreza died from his injuries. The longtime fire captain was married and had three daughters, authorities said.

A GoFundMe page his been set up for Kreza's family. The fundraising profile asks for privacy for his loved ones and has raised more than $144,000 after an initial goal of $25,000.

"Our brother, Mike Kreza succumbed to his injuries and passed away early this morning," the page reads. "Words alone cannot describe the immeasurable heartache felt by his friends & family, including his fire family.

Correction: A pervious version of this story incorrectly stated the date of Kreza's death. The post has since been updated. 

Authorities closed access to the beach along stretch of the ocean in Laguna Beach Wednesday after 150 gallons of sewage waste spilled into the water, according to the O.C. Health Care Agency.

About 150 feet on both sides of the Aliso Creek at Aliso Beach County Park were closed, the agency said.

Authorities say the spill was caused by a sewer blockage in Mission Viejo.

The area will remain closed off until water quality tests show that the ocean water is safe,  the agency said.

Beachgoers can check for water quality status updates and beach closures at ocbeachinfo.com.

A Southern California man has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an off-duty firefighter hit by a car while bicycling in November.

Twenty-five-year-old Stephen Scarpa pleaded not guilty Friday in the death of Costa Mesa fire Capt. Mike Kreza, who succumbed to his injuries two days after he was hit in Mission Viejo.

Orange County prosecutors say Scarpa is suspected of driving under the influence of multiple controlled substances when he crossed into a bike lane, onto the sidewalk and hit Kreza.

In a separate case, an O.C. doctor is facing federal drug trafficking charges for allegedly selling Scarpa the powerful narcotics he was believed to be under the influence of at the time of the crash.

Dr. Dzung Ahn Pham, 57, is also linked to Ian David Long, the gunman who killed 12 people in the Borderline Bar & Grill mass shooting in Thousand Oaks. Long was found to be in possession of medication Pham had prescribed someone else, officials said.

Scarpa could face life in prison if convicted. He’s being held on $2 million bail.

The 44-year-old Kreza was married with three daughters.

KTLA’s Erika Martin contributed to this report.

Officials warned residents Monday about a recent uptick in ‘virtual scams’ being reported in Orange County.

The scams ranged from fake kidnappings to fake pet sales, with the scammers usually targeting victims to extort money from them, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

In one case, a 63-year-old San Clemente man told police he received a call from a man claiming to be with his 25-year-old daughter in Mexico and that they were in danger. The suspect said a friend in their group had been shot, and said they needed $2,000 paid electronically and not using a bank transfer, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

When the victim asked to speak to his daughter before sending the money, the suspect “would not comply,” according to authorities.

The man said he heard what sounded like his daughter’s voice screaming in the background and went to a bank where an employee called police, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The victim then hung up and called his daughter, who was safe at school in Oceanside, according to authorities.

Officials said this type of “virtual kidnapping scam” was making the rounds at different cities in the county. The Los Angeles Times reported on two different Laguna Beach families that were told one of their children had been kidnapped and would be killed unless they paid a ransom to the caller on March 7.

Laguna Beach Police told the Times that one of the parents sent the suspect thousands of dollars.

It is unclear if the same suspect or group of suspects were involved in the different incidents across the county.

Authorities described the recent scams as “creative” and said the scammers are often convincing.

“Sometimes they will know basic information about your loved one and use that information in an attempt to prove the validity of their requests,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

On Wednesday, a man contacted a Mission Viejo woman through an online dating app and asked her to exchange $10,000 in checks for the same amount in Best Buy and Kohl’s gift cards. The woman purchased the gift cards only to later realize the checks were fraudulent, the Sheriff’s Department said.

On the same day, also in Mission Viejo, a resident attempted to purchase a bulldog that was advertised online. The suspect asked for $950 sent in Amazon and Google Play gift cards. After receiving the gift cards, the suspect stopped replying and never delivered the dog, according to authorities.

The Sheriff’s Department offered residents some tips on how to protect themselves from falling victim to virtual scams:

• If you get a call about a loved one potentially being kidnapped, and it doesn’t seem safe to hang up the phone, find the nearest person or drive to the Sheriff’s Department station to ask for help. You can write a note asking someone to contact authorities.
• If you are asked to pay for anything using gift cards, that should be an automatic red flag.
• If someone calls claiming to be a family member asking for money, hang up the phone and attempt to reach that family member. This scam, also called “the grandparent scam,” involves suspects posing as a loved one in trouble and in need of money in the form of gift cards.
• If a caller incites fear and says it’s am emergency, or attempts to verbally coerce you, you should contact law enforcement.

Authorities did not provide information on the number of virtual scams reported recently in the county.

Residents who feel they may be victim of a scam can call the Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7000.

Eleven-year-old cancer patient Nikolai Greco of Mission Viejo realized a dream Thursday when he was drafted by Cal State University, Fullerton's Division 1 soccer team. And the team was delighted to have him onboard.

Rick Chambers reports for the KTLA 5 News at 10 on May 9, 2019.

Deputies patrolling businesses near the border of Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills early Monday said they caught a man wearing a Donald Trump mask causing damage to at least one parked vehicle.

Rory Zimmerman is seen in a booking photo provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Department on May 27, 2019.

The officers were conducting checks in the Cabot-Vista Viejo area at around 4 a.m. when "they had to do a double take" after spotting somebody "resembling President Trump slashing tires and breaking the windshield of a parked vehicle," the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.

The person had a loaded handgun, body armor, an airsoft shotgun and a helmet, according to the Sheriff's Department. His car also had fake license plates and amber "takedown" lights attached to the windshield, the agency said.

The suspect, 56-year-old Rory Zimmerman, was safely arrested for a possible felony vandalism charge, the Sheriff's Department said. Bail was set at $100,000.

Zimmerman previously worked in the area, according to the businesses in the complex where he was arrested. At least two vans parked on Monday afternoon appeared to have their tires slashed.

Officials are looking for a man who was captured on video tampering with water bottles at a Mission Viejo grocery store earlier this week.

A man is seen on video tampering with water bottles in Mission Viejo on June 17, 2019. (Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department)

The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. Monday inside the Ralphs at 27730 Santa Margarita Parkway, Orange County sheriff’s officials said.

The man is seen in the video removing packages of water bottles off shelves, opening the packaging and apparently removing the lids off the bottles at the store. The man left before authorities arrived. The motive behind the incident is unknown.

All of the bottles that appeared to be tampered with were removed from the shelves and the water was expected to be tested at the Orange County crime lab.

It will take about two weeks to get the results, said Carrie Braun, a public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department.

“Obviously, tampering with any kind of food product at a grocery store is very concerning,” Braun told KTLA. “We don’t know what the intentions of the individuals were, so that’s why are investigators are interested in speaking with him.”

The man is described as being in his late 20s to early 30s, is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds.

Anyone with information about the man or the incident can call the sheriff’s dispatch line at 714-647-7000.

Correction: A previous version of this story listed an incorrect address for the Ralphs store involved. This story has been updated.

No contaminants were found in water bottles at a Mission Viejo supermarket that sparked an investigation after a man was caught on video tampering with them last month, authorities said Monday.

Crime lab results showed only water in the bottles removed from shelves inside the Ralphs at 27730 Santa Margarita Parkway after the June 17 incident, said Carrie Braun, a public information officer for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Surveillance footage from the store showed a man removing packages of bottled water off shelves, opening them and apparently removing the lids. The impacted products were subsequently pulled from shelves.

Braun did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether investigators have identified the man involved.

He is described as in his late 20s to early 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 185 pounds.

Anyone with information can contact the sheriff’s dispatch line at 714-647-7000.

KTLA’s Chip Yost contributed to this report.

A Mission Viejo man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting multiple woman while working at a local Massage Envy and raping a senior citizen while serving as her caregiver, deputies said.

Russell Bernardino, 43, has also been a licensed marriage therapist for about three years and has worked at several massage parlors, and investigators think he could have other victims, Orange County sheriff's officials said in a news release.

Russell Bernardino is seen in a booking photo released July 17, 2019, by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

In the three cases he's been tied to, he's accused of rape, elder sexual abuse, oral copulation and sexual battery.

Detectives launched a probe in April after a 36-year-old woman reported Bernardino sexually assaulted her while she was getting a massage at Massage Envy's Mission Viejo location. Two months later, a 71-year-old woman told authorities Bernardino also sexually assaulted her at the chain's location at 27620 Marguerite Parkway.

In late 2017, the massage chain responded to a rash of more than 180 sex assaults reported at its national franchises revealed by a BuzzFeed News investigation, saying it would roll out reforms.

Last month, a 29-year-old man who works at a Massage Envy in Ventura was charged with sexually abusing a client there just a week after he was hired. Anthony Wearing is facing charges of felony forcible digital penetration and sexual battery by restraint.

Massage Envy is fighting multiple lawsuits over the claims, according to BuzzFeed.

In a statement, the company said it does not comment on pending litigation and it is “committed to promoting a safe environment.”

Investigators told KTLA Bernardino no longer works at Massage Envy and his massage therapist license suspended about two weeks ago.

Bernardino is also accused of raping a 77-year-old woman for whom he was working as a caregiver at her home in Laguna Woods.

The suspect has been a licensed home health care provider for around two years and was employed by West Coast Care in Orange from 2017 to 2018, authorities said. Detectives are unsure whether he worked for other home health care companies in the area.

Bernardino was arrested around 8 a.m. Wednesday at his Mission Viejo home and was being held on $100,000 bail, officials said.

Anyone with information on possible additional victims can contact the O.C. Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7419, or submit an anonymous tip via 855-847-6227 or occrimestoppers.org.

A Mission Viejo camp counselor has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child during a bus ride, officials announced Thursday.

Nicholas Cruz is shown in a photo released by the Irvine Police Department on July 25, 2019.

Nicholas David Cruz, 19, worked as a part-time camp counselor at Mission Viejo Christian Church since last December.

An investigation into Cruz began on Tuesday when the mother of an 8-year-old child reported to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that Cruz allegedly assaulted her child during the bus ride to their home in Mission Viejo from a summer camp outing in Irvine. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged assault or the child’s gender.

The case was turned over to the Irvine Police Department who eventually arrested Cruz. The details of the arrest were not released Thursday.

Later Thursday, Irvine police tweeted they had confirmed another victim in this case. The victim was only described as being 8 years old.

Investigators believe Cruz, of Mission Viejo, might have victimized more children. He had been working with children between 8 and 9 years old, and last summer worked with kids between 5 and 11 years old, officials said.

Police ask parents who believe their children may have been a victim to call Detective Mudassar Mahmood at 949-724-7130 or email him at mmahmood@cityofirvine.org.

A man stole a Mercedes-Benz from a Mission Viejo home, then used it to smash through the front of a nearby liquor store before fleeing with cash and lottery tickets early Saturday, sheriff's officials said.

A burglar was caught on camera ramming a stolen car through the front of a Mission Viejo liquor store before fleeing with cash and lottery tickets on Aug. 3, 2019. (Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department)

The destructive burglary took place just after 4 a.m. at a liquor store in the 2500 block of Charlinda Drive, the Orange County Sheriff's Department said in a written statement.

But first, the burglar stole a car from a nearby home overnight, officials said.

As a surveillance camera recorded, the just-stolen luxury car smashed through the front of the liquor store.

The burglar backed out and then entered the business through the massive hole he has just created. He fled with trays containing money and lottery tickets, officials said.

The man wore black pants, a black shirt and gray shoes during the crime, officials said.

The value of the damage and stolen property was yet to be determined.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 714-647-7000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to O.C. Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies responding Tuesday to a report of a suspicious man next to a parked SUV arrived to find him attempting an unusual – and ineffective – method to fix a flat tire.

The man was trying to patch two damaged tires using gauze and Band-Aids, OCSD – Mission Viejo Police Services said in a Facebook post.

A citizen reported the suspicious man next to the vehicle near Felipe Road and Barbadanes around 6 a.m.

When deputies arrived, they found both driver’s side tires were flat and the 26-year-old man trying to repair them.

The man was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, deputies said.

The suspect’s identity was not released.

A chain of Orange County residential care homes for the disabled paid their workers as little as $4 an hour and made them work more than 87 hours a week, according to a federal lawsuit.

In a settlement announced Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor said the facilities in Mission Viejo and Lake Forest were assessed $1.1 million in back wages and penalties for 66 workers after falsifying records and intimidating workers.

The three-year court case brought by federal officials also charged Lilibeth and Gerardo Ortiz, owners of the homes, with retaliation against live-in caregivers and licensed vocational nurses for filing complaints, serving them with eviction notices. Attorneys for the couple “coerced employees into signing false or misleading statements about their working conditions,” the lawsuit said.

“In addition to subjecting employees to oppressive working conditions, the defendants attempted to silence workers and prevent them from exercising their rights,” said Janet Herold, the labor department’s regional solicitor, in a statement. She praised “brave employees who come forward … notwithstanding the defendants’ concerted efforts at intimidation.”

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