Carry Your I.D.
Saturday, August 11 at 2:30 p.m. – 1500 “block” of the Beach – A man was walking on the sand among beachgoers selling umbrellas and bags of toys. Officers were notified, approached the man and found he had no license or permit to sell as required by the municipal code. He was arrested for vending without a permit. [Arrested? Problem was, he had no I.D. SMPD Lt. Alex Padilla advises that, while there is no legal requirement that people carry identification, any person who commits an act that would otherwise merely result in a citation (a ticket) will be physically arrested if he/she does have identification so the police can be sure as to just who it is they have cited.]
Entrapment? Not an Issue.
Saturday, August 11 at 8:00 p.m. – Oriental Shiatsu Massage at 1913 Santa Monica Boulevard – Undercover officers from the vice and narcotics unit, responding to complaints received, entered the establishment and observed several violations involving persons engaged in lewd and lascivious conduct. [Flat out. No officer paid for a massage this time, or anything like that.] One masseuse was arrested for prostitution [Penal Code section 647(b): “ ‘prostitution’ includes any lewd act between persons for money or other consideration”] and municipal code violations.
“Strong Armed” Robbery
Monday, August 6 at 4:55 a.m. – Bay Street and Ocean Avenue – A man on his way to work parked his car and was walking to his place of employment. He saw five or more men standing near a car; two of them approached him and asked him to hand over his money. They hit him with closed fists on his face and back; he fell down; they went through his pockets and found no money. He got up and escaped and flagged down a park ranger who called the police. Responding officers detained the gentlemen at the suspect vehicle. The two assailants were identified and arrested for strong-armed robbery. (The other gentlemen at the vehicle were ID’d and released.)
[Actually, California law does not define “strong-armed robbery.” Garden variety “robbery” is defined in Penal Code section 211 as “the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.”]
Brandishing a Firearm
Wednesday, August 15 at 1:15 a.m. – 2100 block of Virginia Avenue – A couple were walking down the street when a car pulled up, and the driver brandished a handgun, shouted gang slogans and drove away. After follow-up investigation, officers responded the following day, August 16 at 7:30 p.m., to a Los Angeles residence and arrested a man at his mother’s residence on the charge.
