Alert: Police Blotter:

Enter the DragonAt 4:51 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a report of a burglar alarm activation at a retail store named Dragon Herbs, a purveyor of fine Chinese medicinal herbs and other health products. Upon arrival, they (the officers) noticed that a glass front door had been smashed. A witness provided the officers with a description of two suspects. The first suspect is described as a male Hispanic, 5’10”, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark colored pants. The second is described as a male Hispanic, 5’5”, wearing dark clothing and a black beanie. This is an ongoing investigation so police have requested that anyone with additional information that could help them catch these two characters, please call SMPD Detectives at 310.458.8451or SMPD Dispatch (24 hours) at 310.458.8491.Not a Designated DriverWednesday, February 18, 1:50 a.m. at the 2900 block of Main Street. Officers responded to a report of a fight, but upon arrival discovered that it was in fact a theft. The victim at the scene informed the officers that her purse, containing her car keys, and presumably some other items, had been stolen from the inside of a bar. The victim then thought that it would be a good idea to check upon the status of her vehicle, and discovered a man, not known to the victim, who was situated in the driver’s seat of her car. She also noticed that certain items were missing from inside the vehicle. The officers detained that man as well as two other men who were believed to have been involved. All three men were arrested and booked for auto burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. The man who had been spotted sitting in the vehicle was found to be in possession of items stolen from the victim, so he was also booked for possession of stolen property. One of the men who assisted in the crime was also booked for violation of probation; the other was also booked for being in possession of marijuana (less than an ounce).He Looked Suspicious11th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, 3:04 p.m., Wednesday, February 18. Officers received a report of a “suspicious person.” During dialogue with the reporting party the officers learned that she (the reporting party) had been followed by the “suspicious person” for at least one block. The woman then pointed out the “suspicious person” to the officers who then made moves to contact the “suspicious person.” The “suspicious person” made a run for it, but the officers leapt into action, and, after a brief chase on foot, caught the “suspicious person.” It appeared that the reporting party’s suspicions were well-founded, because the officers discovered that an hour prior to this incident the “suspicious person” had attempted to rob another woman after she had left an ATM machine. He was arrested and booked for that attempted robbery and resisting arrest (running away).