An Orange County couple's yacht hijacked by pirates was headed for the coast of Somalia, one pirate told reporters in Africa.

The pirate told the Associated Press and other news organizations in the Somali capital of Mogadishu that the boat was moving toward the African nation from the the coast of Oman, where the hijacking occurred, and that a U.S. warship was following the vessel. The AP said U.S. government officials in Mogadishu could not confirm the account.

For nearly a decade, Scott and Jean Adam's home has been the 58-foot custom-made sloop.

Although they docked every so often in Marina del Rey to pick up mail and see friends, the couple spent most of their time sailing to far-flung locales such as the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti and New Zealand. Posting photos and information on their website, they raved about their travels aboard the Quest. "We've decided to ... explore Fiji like petals on a flower," they wrote about their 2007 trip to the South Pacific.

"This is all of our worst nightmares," said Scott Stolnitz, a friend of the couple.

Stolnitz, who also travels around the world with his wife via boat, said he and Scott Adam had previously discussed the dangers of piracy when navigating the Arabian and Red seas.

A famed Newport Beach surf shop is one step closer to salvation.

The Frog House and other nearby property owners have applied to change the city's Coastal Land Use Plan so they can remain at their Upper West Newport locations.

As it stands, the area is zoned for residential use only. That classification was made in 1973, but wasn't enforced until 2008, when a law was passed that was intended to force some drug and alcohol rehabilitation group homes out of areas incompatible with their mission.

As an unintended consequence, the nearly 50-year-old surf shop found itself out of compliance and faced closure. Its predicament came to light in September and throngs of supporters flocked online, creating a Facebook page to "save the Frog House."

Read the full story here.

-- Mike Reicher, Times Community News

Photo: Cleaning up in front of the Frog House. Credit: Don Leach / Times Community News

U.S. military officials said they are considering a response after reports that pirates off the coast of Somalia hijacked the yacht belonging to an Orange County couple on a worldwide voyage distributing Bibles.

Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette, deputy commander of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, told CNN on Saturday that the U.S. is prepared to intervene to rescue the couple if they are indeed aboard the boat.

"They were part of a sailing group that set sail from the southern tip of India into the western Indian Ocean," he told the network.

Jean and Scott Adam have been sailing around the world for six years on their sailboat, the S/V Quest. They have raced with the Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, which has been their mail drop during their global odyssey.

Omar Jamal, first secretary at the Somali mission, said Friday that pirates in the Indian Ocean had taken four U.S. citizens captive when they hijacked the S/V Quest. The other two people have not been identified.

The couple's website, svquest.com, shows that the Adams were on a journey this winter from India to the Mediterranean by way of the Arabian and Red seas. They had hoped to reach Crete by April, then sail to Istanbul, Turkey.

"Djibouti is a big refueling stop," Jean Adam, a retired dentist, wrote of a stop that they were planning just beyond Somalia. "I have NO idea what will happen in these ports, but perhaps we'll do some local touring. Due north is the Red Sea where we plan to tuck in when winds turn to the north."

Last year, the couple sailed to ports in Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand.

Orange County authorities intercepted a vehicle headed to Mexico and arrested a 21-year-old man wanted in the shooting death of another man who was trying to avoid a fight between two groups over which Mexican state was best.

Ivan Sanchez, of Santa Ana, was being held Friday in the Orange County Jail on $1-million bail after being arrested Thursday on murder and attempted murder charges.

Police said the victim, 35-year-old Esteban Navarrete, was an innocent bystander to the argument that started Sunday night in a Santa Ana restaurant.

“The two groups were on opposite sides of the restaurant. The victim, his wife and two friends were in the middle of the restaurant having dinner,” said Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. “He glanced over once.”

The Costa Mesa City Council voted this week to dissolve its police helicopter program, saving the city almost $1 million in annual costs but costing four officers their jobs.

Councilwoman Wendy Leece dissented, saying the city should find other money-saving options.

The AirBorne Law Enforcement, or ABLE, program, a shared helicopter program with Newport Beach police that also extended service to Irvine and Santa Ana on occasion, ended after 15 years Tuesday night.

Costa Mesa has had police helicopters since the 1970s and in 1996 merged with Newport Beach's program to form ABLE. With the program gone, the four Costa Mesa officers involved will be folded back into regular department operations, displacing four less senior officers who will be laid off, city officials said.

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-- Joseph Serna, Daily Pilot / Times Community News

Photo: Police officer / pilot John Susman (left) and Officer Vern Hupp, Airborne Law Enforcement, providing air support for the cities of Costa Mesa, Newport and Santa Ana in 2004. Credit: Los Angeles Times

An Orange County jogger struck by a car and killed as she tried to protect a dog that had wandered into traffic will be honored posthumously for her compassion by the PETA animal-rights advocacy group.

Mara Steves, 48, will receive PETA's Compassionate Action Award for coming to the canine’s aid, the group said.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Steves was jogging in Laguna Hills about 11 a.m. Sunday when she saw the dog dart into traffic and stopped to grab it. She was kneeling with it on the corner of Molton Parkway and Nueva Vista Drive when two cars collided nearby.

At least one of the cars ran onto the sidewalk, striking Steves, authorities said. She was declared dead at the scene.

The Orange County district attorney's office was investigating Thursday what happened in an Anaheim residential neighborhood that caused a police officer to shoot and injure a man.

Neighbors in the 1000 block of South Rexford Lane told police there had been several recent burglaries in the area, but the claims had not been substantiated, said Sgt. Allan Roman of the Anaheim Police Department.

The officer, whose name was not released, was on duty at the time of the 5:40 a.m. shooting and was unharmed, Roman said. He was being questioned to determine what occurred, Roman said.

The man who was shot was unarmed, authorities said. He was in stable condition after surgery for undisclosed injuries, Roman said.

"The Anaheim police and the Orange County district attorney's office are interviewing potential witnesses and following up on leads," Roman said.

A driver in Huntington Beach made an unexpected pit stop when he crashed his SUV into a backyard swimming pool.

The unidentified man lost control of his sport utility vehicle about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday on Atlanta Avenue, officials said. He crashed through a block wall and into the pool in the 9800 block of Kite Drive.

The driver received only minor injuries, officials said. The SUV, however, was not so lucky.

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An Anaheim police officer shot and injured a man Thursday morning in a residential neighborhood, officials said.

Police said it was unclear if the officer was on duty at the time of the 5:40 a.m. shooting on South Rexford Lane near the intersection of East Marblehead Way.

Details about the shooting were not immediately available, said Sgt. Allan Roman of the Anaheim Police Department.

The man who was shot was taken to a hospital, and the officer was uninjured, Roman said.

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-- Ann M. Simmons

San Clemente homeowners filed a lawsuit  Wednesday alleging that the owners of a nearby golf course failed to maintain hillside slopes where heavy rains caused disastrous mudflows in December.

The 11 homeowners, who residences were damaged during the torrential downpours, are seeking in excess of $10 million in damages, according to the lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court.

Attorney Serge Tomassian, who represents the homeowners, said the slope near the Shorecliffs Golf Course was still moving and that rainfall during the next several days may cause additional mudslides that could affect the homes on Via Ballena.

Tomassian also said he had filed claims for damages for $10 million to $15 million against the city of San Clemente.

Attorneys for the golf course and the city could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

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-- Robert J. Lopez