Santa Monica police arrested a 39-year-old homeless man on Saturday, April 12 after aggressively seeking money from customers at a Taco Bell drive-thru.
Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Taco Bell at 2207 Lincoln Boulevard at 9:40 pm on this day in order to investigate a case of an aggressive panhandler.
The officers had been informed that this panhandler had been waiting near the drive-thru of the restaurant and had been jumping in front of cars, knocking on car windows, and repeatedly requesting donations of money in a manner that was startling and overbearing.
Upon arrival the officers spotted the suspect in the drive-thru and arrested him.
The officers noticed that he reeked of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and was argumentative and very wobbly.
These are clear signs of intoxication so this man was charged with being drunk in public. Bail was set at $250.
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.