A 39-year-old homeless man was charged with burglary, vehicle tampering, possession of drug paraphernalia, and appropriation of lost property after he was found inside the gates of a property where he stole an ashtray and an outdoor seat cushion.
Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the 100 block of Bicknell Ave. to investigate a prowler on Thursday, March 14, at 12:30 am.
The officers had been informed while en route that the suspect had been seen opening trashcans and attempting to open a car door. Upon arrival the officers spotted the suspect standing inside the victim’s property grounds behind a security gate.
The officers detained the suspect and asked him what he was doing there. The suspect told the officers that he was looking for his cellphone that he believed was on the property (for reasons unknown).
The suspect added that he was also on the property because he wanted to take some lemons from a lemon tree that was growing in the victim’s garden.
The officers decided that it would be prudent to search this man so they did and discovered that the man had an ashtray belonging to the victim inside his pocket.
The officers also noted that a seat cushion from the garden furniture of the property was outside the property grounds on the sidewalk next to a suitcase.
The victim identified the seat cushion and the ashtray as being his property.
Additionally, the officers discovered drug paraphernalia and checks belonging to several other individuals upon the suspect.
Based upon the evidence, and the desire of the victim that the suspect be prosecuted, the officers arrested him. 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.
