This story started way back on May 23, 2012, when, at 7:05 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to the front lobby of the police headquarters in order to speak with two victims who told them that someone had brandished a firearm at them earlier that day.
The victims told the officers that they were both students at Santa Monica High School, and after they had left school they had walked to their vehicle that had been parked at the Civic Center parking lot.
When they were at the corner of Pico Boulevard and Seventh Street they saw a group of males who were standing on the corner.
This group of men began to whistle at them, and also told them that they were “the Santa Monica gang.”
The two victims were concerned that these men wanted to fight them so they continued walking westbound on Pico Boulevard in order to distance themselves from the group.
As these two victims were walking they noticed that two of the “Santa Monica gang” members were following them on the north sidewalk.
The victims managed to get to their vehicle and drive away.
They took the “scenic route” to Lincoln Boulevard and Pico Boulevard so that they could pick up their friend who was at the L&L Restaurant.
When they were at the restaurant the “Santa Monica gang” members arrived in their black Ford Mustang, with a tan convertible top. The gang members jumped out of their Mustang and surrounded the victim’s car.
One of the gang members lifted his shirt in order to expose his weapon, in this instance a large caliber handgun that was stuck into his waistband.
All of the suspects then began to yell profanities and racial slurs at the victims (who by now numbered three), but the victims were able to drive away without further ado. Investigators were assigned to this case and were able to identify one of the suspects.
On Thursday, July 12 during the early morning hours these investigators, along with SWAT officers served a search and arrest warrant at the residence of a suspect who lives in the 1500 block of Princeton Avenue.
The officers arrested a 24-year-old man, and recovered a handgun.
This Santa Monica resident was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and participation in a street gang. His bail was set at $90,000.
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.
