4 Incidents of Violence Rock Mission Viejo : Crime: The community of 73,000 has had no murders in two years. But two armed robberies and two rapes in the past week have marred its reputation for personal safety.

MISSION VIEJO —  If it’s Mission Viejo, it must be crime-free. Like most bromides, this city’s reputation as a crime-free haven is flawed, but generally true: The community of 73,000 has had no murders and only 10 rapes reported in the past two years.

That’s why residents have been rocked by the news of four violent crimes in the past week--two armed robberies and two rapes, including an assault on a 16-year-old girl Wednesday night.

“This has been pretty shocking. You don’t see a lot of violence in our town,” said Milt Jacobson, a member of the city’s Community Service Commission.

But in a planned community that often draws people trying to escape the urban ills of greater Los Angeles, the idea of violent crime filtering down from the megalopolis to the north is a frightening prospect.

“This is the last stand for a lot of people who move here,” said Ted Olsen, a board member on the Mission Viejo High School booster club. “The newer citizens are scared and those of us who have been here awhile are lulled to sleep. But you know, this shows that crime can happen anywhere and anytime.”

Besides the sexual assaults, a middle-aged woman was robbed at gunpoint in the Mission Viejo Mall parking lot and armed bandits held up an Edwards Cinema near the mall. Police do not believe any of the incidents are related.

Statistics show that while Mission Viejo is certainly not crime-free, significantly fewer violent incidents occur here.

The two rapes represent half the total as were reported in all of fiscal 1991-92. Statistically, Irvine rates higher as a safe place to live, but Mission Viejo does well compared to other Orange County cities.

In 1991 for instance, Huntington Beach reported 35 violent crimes per 10,000 in population while Mission Viejo reported 24 per 10,000. Orange had 51 per 10,000 residents while Fullerton reported 64 violent crimes per 10,000 in population.

Real estate agents say Mission Viejo’s reputation for personal safety is well-known.

“I have many clients who move here to get away from the crime in Los Angeles,” said Pam Lowe, a Mission Viejo resident and a local real estate agent since 1978. “These are people who are concerned about the welfare of their families and want to improve the quality of their life. And one crime here is worth about 50 in Los Angeles.”

One of Lowe’s clients, who moved to Mission Viejo from Stanton six weeks ago, knows exactly why she lives in South County.

“In my old neighborhood there was graffiti, drive-bys and a shooting right across the street. I had to watch my back,” said Michele Urbina, a single mother who works as a county firefighter. “I feel a lot safer here. I love it so much that people are actually walking on the street with dogs and kids.”

But living in a relatively safe environment has lulled many residents into a sense of false security, particularly longtime locals.

“I came to Mission Viejo because it was a new planned community and seemed so fresh and clean,” said Lowe, who is a Neighborhood Watch block captain. “But things are changing drastically. Crime and population is moving south and I’m increasingly worried about it. You can’t escape crime, but what you need is education to deal with it.”

Unknown to most residents, the predators who prey on Mission Viejo are not from the outside--usually they’re the city’s own children, said Sheriff’s Lt. George Johnson, who runs police services.

“Most of the crimes here are committed by people under 25 years old, just like how it is in most of the country,” Johnson said. “And they come from Mission Viejo or the Saddleback Valley.”

In the past two years, the city has seen increasing amounts of graffiti and vandalism. Last December, Trabuco Hills High School was covered with racist slogans by both local teens and youths from outside the area. On Tuesday, a Mission Viejo teen-ager, Matthew Conant, was convicted of second-degree murder for the drive-by shooting of a 17-year-old Lake Forest boy.

Part of the problem, residents say, is that Mission Viejo was built with adults and children in mind.

“For teen-agers, we have nothing,” Jacobson said. “We don’t have enough recreational facilities to keep them busy during the evening. We need an ice rink, skating rink or miniature golf, anything would help.”

In recent months, the City Council has discussed several recreational options to Mission Viejo youth, including a teen center and a skateboard park.

Despite this week’s rash of violence, Johnson expects to keep getting calls from people outside the community, asking if the city is safe.

“I tell them two things,” he said. “No. 1, Mission Viejo is not crime-free. But if you want to judge for yourself, come down at dusk and look at the number of unescorted women jogging. This is a good place to work, live and play.”

A Safe Place to Live

Mission Viejo’s 1991 crime rate stacks up well against several other Orange County cities.

Violent crimes City per 10,000 Irvine 12 Mission Viejo 24 Huntington Beach 35 Orange 51 Fullerton 64 Garden Grove 69 Anaheim 71 Santa Ana 110

Violent Crimes in Mission Viejo

Year Crimes 1989 168 1990 145 1991 175

Note: Violent crimes are murder, rape, robbery and assault.

Source: California Department of Justice