The Pavilion Motel on Ocean Park Boulevard was empty Tuesday, July 24, after police raids on Monday, July 23, the arrests of nearly a dozen people and City inspections that “yellow tagged” the property so as to prohibit anyone from staying there, all as a result of “ongoing investigation…into allegations of rampant drug activity occurring at and near the motel,” according to SMPD spokesman Lt. Alex Padilla.
Narcotics Investigators from the Santa Monica Police Department served arrest and search warrants at the motel, 2338 Ocean Park Boulevard in the Sunset Park area, at 11:30 Monday morning. The operation began with the arrest of motel owner Saeed Farzam at that location, after he purchased what he believed to be stolen electronic equipment during an undercover police sting, Padilla told the Mirror.
This Mr. Farzam is no relation to Dr. Michael Farzam, whose family operates three hotel properties on Ocean Avenue and one on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica.
A search warrant was also served upon the Santa Monica residence of Saeed Farzam, where additional evidence was recovered. He was booked July 23 at the Santa Monica jail for receiving stolen property and his bail was set at $20,000.
Later the same day, Narcotics Investigators went to the Pavilion Motel and served additional arrest and search warrants, arresting 10 persons for a variety of narcotics-related crimes and for parole and probation violations, said Padilla. “Additional arrests are anticipated,” he added.
The City of Santa Monica’s Building and Safety Division, Code Compliance, Santa Monica Fire Department and the County Health Department then conducted an inspection of the Pavilion Motel pursuant to an administrative warrant. The inspectors determined that several code violations were present and posted the structure with a “Yellow Tag” notice, which prohibits persons from renting rooms or staying at the motel until the violations are repaired.
Zina Josephs, president of Friends of Sunset Park, told the Mirror that her neighborhood association “has received numerous complaints … about illegal activities at the Pavilions Motel. We are very grateful to Chief Jackman and the Police Department for pursuing this investigation and for arresting the suspected lawbreakers.”
