The Signal

Suspect in lewd public act case arrested for warrants

- By Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer jholt@signalscv.com 661-287-5527 On Twitter @jamesarthu­rholt

A transient arrested four times in 18 months on suspicion of indecent exposure, who was sentenced in February to just under a year in county jail, was arrested on the Fourth of July on three outstandin­g arrest warrants for suspicion of soliciting or engaging in a lewd act in public view.

Harry Joshua Hirst, 45, of Newhall, was arrested by deputies of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station shortly before 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrest records.

“Mr. Hirst was arrested on the Fourth of July for three outstandin­g warrants at the Santa Clarita Courthouse,” Lt. Ignacio Somoano, in charge of the SCV Sheriff Station’s Detective Section, said Thursday.

In February, Hirst — sometimes identified in arrest reports prepared by deputies as a transient, sometimes unemployed, as a laborer or working in constructi­on — pleaded no contest to a misdemeano­r, engaging in lewd conduct, Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said at the time.

Hirst was immediatel­y sentenced to 360 days in Los Angeles County Jail.

Hirst was also ordered to stay away from a coffee shop on Lyons Avenue, near Peachland Avenue, Santiago said.

Hirst also admitted in February to being in violation of probation on six prior cases, Santiago said.

“In one of those cases, he remains on probation simultaneo­usly with the new (Jan. 30) case,” he said. “In the other five cases, he was sentenced to 360 days in the county jail.”

Santiago noted probation in each of those five cases is expected to “terminate upon his release from jail.”

When deputies arrested Hirst shortly before 1 a.m. on Jan. 30, it was the second time they had arrested him that month. They arrested him on Jan. 6 on suspicion of indecent exposure.

“Harry Hirst was charged with one count of engaging in lewd conduct in violation of 647(a)PC a misdemeano­r,” Sgt. Ron Price told The Signal on Jan. 31.

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