Two men were arrested in Santa Monica on Tuesday, April 15 after being caught in a bicycle sting operation.
Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department who were on Downtown Bicycle Detail conducted a “sting” operation that involved placing a locked bicycle in a noticeable position that was intended to attract the attention of possible bicycle thieves operating in the area.
The undercover officers concealed themselves some distance away. Suddenly, at 5:20 pm, two men approached the bicycle and cut the lock. These men then placed the bicycle on the roof of their vehicle.
They then used items of clothing and blankets in order to camouflage the bicycle.
These two men then entered their vehicle and drove away.
The undercover officers, in conjunction with members of the Crime Impact Team, followed the vehicle and stopped it a short distance away.
The officers arrested two individuals, namely a 29-year-old (charged with receiving stolen property and violation of probation), and a 49-year-old (charged with grand theft).
Bail was denied for the first suspect and granted in the amount of $20,000 for the second.
There was no information regarding the place of residence for either of these suspects at time of going to press.
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.
