On Friday, Nov. 11, at 12:55 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department went to the Fairmont Hotel, located at 101 Wilshire Boulevard, in order to investigate a report of a suspect who was being held at the hotel by their security chief in regard to some allegations of theft. When the officers arrived at the scene they spoke with the Director of Security who told them the detainee was an employee of the hotel.
He said there had been a number of thefts from the hotel rooms reported, and that the person, who was a cleaner at the Fairmont, had become the prime suspect. On the day prior to the officers being called the hotel, security had prepared a room with several items in order to make the room appear occupied by a guest. They had then placed a hidden camera inside the room.
The suspect was filmed entering the room on Nov. 10, 2011, and while she was cleaning she was seen taking a woman’s watch and hide it in the room. On Nov. 11, 2011 she was seen entering the room again and retrieve the watch, conceal it upon her person, and leave the room. It was then the trap was sprung and she was detained by security, who also took the watch back from her. Based upon the evidence, the officers arrested this 61-year-old cleaner from Los Angeles, and she was charged with burglary. Her bail was set at $50,000.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.
