Needles wash up in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH (FOX 11/ CNS) - Crews filled dozens of bags Tuesday with things like trash, needles, syringes and tree branches that washed down from the Santa Ana River after the recent rainstorms.

The county says its crews found 45 needles on Tuesday, but say they have cleaned up everything they deem to be a hazard and the beach is now safe .

Police suspect the needles washed ashore with other trash as usually happens following a heavy rain.

Police think it's possible the needles came from one of the transient encampments along the river that feeds into the ocean.

``We're still checking because we want to make sure it's not an ongoing problem, but it's not like it's a widespread problem as of now,'' Newport Beach Police Lt. Jeff Brouwer said.