On Friday, Jan. 28, at 11:56 p.m., officers of the Santa Monica Police Department went to the 1700 block of Appian Way because they had just heard about an attempted robbery.
While they were driving to the scene the officers were told (via radio) that the two suspects were running westbound on the beach (towards the water!) and they were possibly chasing someone.
When the officers arrived at the beach they saw the suspects on the sand and they began to chase them.
A foot pursuit ensued along the waterline (Chariots of Fire?) but the fitter officers caught these two and took them into custody. The officers also found a knife next to where they had apprehended the suspects.
Officers found the victims who said that they had been walking along the 1700 block of Appian Way with the intent of visiting a friend when they were confronted by the suspects who had demanded money, as well as the victim’s purse. The victims ignored the two men, but one of the men had said something about having a gun.
The victims had arrived at their friend’s house and at that time the suspects had begun to throw rocks at them. After they had thrown a few rocks the suspects ran away (how very odd). The suspects were identified and then arrested.
The first suspect, aged 18, and a resident of Los Angeles was charged with attempted robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime, and participating in a street gang. His bail was set at $90,000.
The second suspect, aged 17, and a Santa Monica resident, was charged with robbery, attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime, participating in a street gang, and probation violation.
Given that this suspect was a minor, bail was not granted and he was subsequently transported to a juvenile detention facility.
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.
