Christmas Spirit: Laguna Beach Cops Replace Crime Victim's Phone, Cash

News release from Larry Bammer of the Laguna Beach Police Employees Association:

'Tis the season to give back!

On December 8, 2012, a local hair stylist was walking from the Laguna Beach salon to her car when she was confronted by two men in a parking garage. They pointed guns at her (later determined to be airsoft guns) and demanded her wallet. As she continued walking to her car, they approached her, pressed the gun into her back and fired. She sustained a serious bruise/welt in the center of her back. They grabbed her purse and drug her and the purse to the back of her vehicle. She bravely fought them off, kicking and screaming until they finally got the purse and ran away.  The suspects stole $100 cash from her purse (which totaled all the money she had for her entire month of groceries) and her brand new cell phone.

The Laguna Beach Police Employees Association contacted Crime Survivors, a non-profit Orange County organization that provides support and guidance to crime victims to aid in their mental, physical, emotional and financial recovery.  Crime Survivors Founder/CEO Patricia Wenskunas immediately reached out to this Laguna Beach victim and provided her with numerous resources (medical, financial, counseling etc.).

Very generously, two of the officers who contacted the victim the night of the robbery replaced her cash with their own money so that she could buy groceries this month. The following week, the LBPEA Board met and wanted to do more.  In the spirit of this holiday season, the Board voted to find a way to replace her cellphone which was stolen during the robbery. Wenskusas went to work reaching out to various providers. When Boost Mobile heard about the victim’s violent assault and our small request, they decided to donate a new HTC cellular phone.

On Christmas day, she will receive a new phone from LBPEA Board members.