Man claiming to be Tarzan arrested again

For the second time in a week, authorities say, a man proclaiming himself the king of the jungle couldn’t escape police.

John William Rodenborn, 37, of Huntington Beach was arrested in Costa Mesa on Thursday on suspicion of stealing an iPhone. Two days earlier, police said, he was caught claiming to be Tarzan and swinging from tree to tree near the Santa Ana Zoo’s monkey exhibit.

According to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, Rodenborn appeared to be under the influence of drugs Tuesday when he climbed a wall to get into the zoo and scaled a 20-foot tree.

Zoo employees ushered visitors away from the scene and police arrested Rodenborn — who was shirtless and covered in mud — on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, Bertagna said.

On Thursday, a woman contacted police, saying her iPhone had been stolen from a business in the 2900 block of Randolph Avenue in Costa Mesa, police Lt. Ed Everett said.

She watched surveillance video from the time the phone went missing and saw a man enter a side door and take the device, police said.

After going to police, she used a tracking application on her phone at about 5 p.m. Thursday and discovered it was near the intersection of Bristol Street and Santa Ana Avenue.

When officers arrived there, they saw Rodenborn in a flood channel, Everett said. He took off running, scaled a fence and hid in the garage of a nearby home in Newport Beach, according to police.

Officers chased Rodenborn to the garage of a nearby apartment complex and eventually cornered him in a trash container, Everett said.

Costa Mesa police said they arrested Rodenborn on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property.

He is in Orange County Jail with bail set at $220,000, according to Sheriff’s Department records.

Rocha writes for the Los Angeles Times.