Violent Crime
Wednesday, June 13 at 10:12 p.m. – 900 block of Michigan Avenue – After parking his vehicle, a man heard Suspects run up from behind him and felt someone pulling on his backpack. The Suspects punched him in the face, forcing his glasses to make a cut above his left eye. Several witnesses heard the man yelling for help; they called the police; the Suspects fled on foot without any “take” from their assault. A Mirror reader reported, “Police response was tremendous: very swift, many officers.” The victim declined medical treatment, although he had a quarter-inch laceration and a bleeding and possibly broken nose; he said his wife would take him to the hospital. One witness described the Suspects as two boys – one, Hispanic, 13 to 17 years of age, 5’4” to 5’6”, thin build, dark hair, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants; the other, 10 to 12 years old, 4’10” to 5’2”, thin build, similarly dressed.
Nonviolent Crime
Tuesday, June 12 at11:30 a.m. – 2900 block of Main Street – A girl went into a store and took some dresses into the dressing room, presumably to try them on. When she came out, she was not carrying the same number of dresses, though she was carrying a bag. She was detained by store security who found two dresses in her bag totaling $665 (that’s Grand Theft). Responding officers arrested her for burglary rather than mere theft because she had entered the store with no money and therefore the intent to commit a crime.
Crime?
Tuesday, June 12 at 10:25 a.m. –1200 block of 3rd Street or vicinity – A transient gentleman walking down an alley found a black laptop computer between two trashcans. He and a friend turned the computer on, and the screen asked for “RAND employee password.” So the gentleman returned the computer to RAND, where it was determined that the device had been stolen from an employee’s residence. Police, having been summoned, arrested the gentleman on an outstanding warrant.
SMPD public information officer Lt. Alex Padilla remarked, “This may seem like a case of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished,” but he explained that police would certainly be criticized if anyone subject to arrest were allowed to go free and went on to commit another crime. Point taken.
Graffiti on the Pier
Thursday, June 7 at 12:30 p.m.. – West end of the Pier – Two suspects were seen spraying graffiti on concrete pillars on the lower deck fishing area, and witnesses called the police. Responding officers detained two male individuals, one of whom was arrested for malicious mischief, and the other of whom, being a juvenile, was released to his parents.
