Santa Monica police busted a Long Beach man on Thursday, Oct. 8, after the man was caught using counterfeit $100 bills at various local businesses.
At 1:05 pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the parking structure located in the 1500 block of Second St. in order to investigate a report of counterfeit banknotes that had been used in local retail outlets.
Upon arrival the officers saw that two security officers from local businesses had detained one of the two reported suspects in the parking structure.
The officers approached and began to ask questions.
The suspect (who was seated at the time) told the officers that he was on parole for robbery and that he had “something” in his pocket.
The officers searched this man and discovered a small bag of powder that appeared to be heroin, in addition to keys to a rental car.
The security officers present at the scene told the police officers that employees at a local store had informed them that this man, along with a female accomplice, had attempted to purchase $400 worth of merchandise using what appeared to be counterfeit notes.
The security officers stated that the store employee, who had been attending to this couple, had recognized them from similar efforts to defraud the business at the Torrance branch of the store chain.
The employee had also informed the security officers that she had noticed that the female half of this pair had been carrying a bag from another store in the vicinity, so the police officers went to that store and asked more questions.
The police officers learned that this pair had purchased over $200 worth of items at the second store, again using counterfeit notes.
The officers then searched the rental car that the suspects had been driving and discovered 16 counterfeit $100 bills, bags of clothing, and numerous car rental agreements.
The officers arrested the man, aged 30, and a resident of Long Beach, and he was later charged with burglary, forgery, possession of opiates and a violation of parole. Bail was not granted. At the time of going to press the female in this case was still being sought.
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.
