Laguna Beach police officers are looking for the public’s help identifying vandals who appeared to have smeared feces or sewage on the city manager’s home and property.
At 7:27 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, officers arrived at City Manager Shohreh Dupuis’ home following a call about vandalism and found what appeared to be feces or sewage smeared around the property including on the house, in the front yard, on the mailbox, planters, stairs and the walkway adjacent to the home, police said in a statement.
The home is partly city property, because Dupuis owns only half of the home and the city owns the other half, as stipulated in her employment contract.
“This is a shocking personal attack on our city manager at her residence,” Mayor Bob Whalen said, adding the city will not tolerate any acts to “intimidate or harm any city employee or appointed or elected official.”
Whalen described Dupuis as “hard-working” and someone who only wants what’s “best for the town’s residents.”
“Her job is hard enough without the added stress and anxiety that this type of attack creates,” he said. “She doesn’t deserve this disrespect, and I fully expect our community to rally around her.”
Dupuis joined Laguna Beach as the city’s director of Public Works in 2016. She worked hand-in-hand with City Manager John Pietig for several years. When Pietig retired in June 2021, Dupuis was selected to head up City Hall by the City Council after a national search was done.
Police Chief Jeff Calvert said his department is fully investigating the vandalism, which police believe occurred either overnight or in the early morning hours of Thursday. He said the “cruel act” was “uncharacteristic of our community.”
Anyone with information is urged to call the Police Department at 949-497-0701.
