Suit Charges Newport With False Arrest

A Corona man arrested aboard a boat in Newport Bay on suspicion of armed robbery has filed a $10-million lawsuit charging Newport Beach police with false arrest and invasion of privacy.

City Atty. Robert Burnham said Monday the suit was filed May 24 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Frederick McCarey Ebeling, 49, an unemployed salesman, and Ebeling’s companion, JeNell McKinnie.

Ebeling and McKinnie are acting as their own attorneys, Burnham said. Burnham declined to elaborate on the case other than to deny the accusations.

Police Boarded Boat

In a claim Ebeling filed with the city, he contends that he was lounging on a 27-foot sailboat last June 24 when police boarded and arrested him.

Police told Ebeling he matched a description given by a robbery victim. But when the victim failed to identify Ebeling as the suspect, Ebeling was not allowed to go free. Instead, he was booked on a charge of giving false information to a police officer.

According to a police report, Ebeling first told police his name was Thomas Wilson, born March 3, 1936. No explanation was given as to why Ebeling, who later told police his correct name and date of birth, assertedly gave police the wrong information at first.

The pair filed a lawsuit after Ebeling’s claim seeking $10 million in punitive damages was denied by the Newport Beach City Council, Oct. 22, 1984.

The lawsuit also seeks $100,000 in damages and $10 million in punitive damages, Burnham said.