Distraction Burglary
Tuesday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m. – 500 block of Bay Street – Officers arrested three women in connection with a residential burglary. The suspects had made up a story and asked a resident to allow them inside her home to wash their hands. Once inside, one suspect distracted the victim, while another suspect stole the victim’s wallet from her purse. After noticing her wallet was taken, the victim wrote down the fleeing suspects’ license plate number and called police.
The suspects were later detained by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southwest Division. After they were positively identified by the victim, the three women – one from Los Angeles, one from Hayward, and one transient – were brought to the Santa Monica Police Department and booked for burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Such distraction burglaries often come in waves, and the SMPD cautions residents not to admit strangers to their homes. This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call SMPD detectives at 310.458.8451 (M – F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) or the Watch Commander at 310.458.8427 (24 hours). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call the WeTip hotline at 800.78.CRIME (27463).
Fight I
Sunday, September 28 at 9:00 p.m. – 1400 block of Wilshire Boulevard – Officers responded on a report of a Fight at Blockbuster Video. Upon arrival, they learned that one man had observed another “tagging” the store’s awning. When the first man confronted the tagger, he (the tagger) pulled a knife in a threatening manner and then fled as the police arrived. As the officers detained the tagger, he resisted arrest. The man, a Los Angeles resident, was positively identified by his confronter, and a search revealed that he was in possession of an etching tool, a marker, and a driver’s license belonging to someone else. He was booked for exhibiting a deadly weapon, vandalism, possession of an etching device (akin to burglary tools, apparently), resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a driver’s license, and violation of probation.
Fight II
Wednesday, October 1 at 3:40 p.m. – 1900 block of 18th Street – Officers responded on a report of a Fight. They attempted to detain one of the involved parties who was very agitated, but she ignored commands by the police and physically resisted their attempts to detain her. After her arrest, she spat on one officer as the police attempted to put her in the police car. The woman, a Santa Monica resident, was booked for resisting arrest, battery on a police officer, and violation of probation.
