SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

This weekend, as many families celebrated the tradition of Christmas, law enforcement experienced another tradition during the holiday: an increase in domestic violence reports.

The calls for family assistance were higher compared to other weekends, but that’s not a surprise, according to Sgt. Gus de la Torre.

In fact, whenever there’s a long weekend, deputies usually have an increase in calls for service for domestic violence, he said. The mixing of family and alcohol often ignites trouble, said Lt. Fred Lisanti of San Clemente Police Services.

Deputies responded to 10 reported domestic violence calls over the weekend in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Typically only one or two calls are reported. Calls in Dana Point had not yet been tallied.

No arrests were reported. In one family dispute in San Clemente, deputies transported a husband to a hotel to cool off for the night. The cause of the dispute: money spent on Christmas gifts.