Thief Slips Up At Banana Republic.
On Wednesday, March 2, at 11:55am officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Banana Republic store, located at 1202 Third Street Promenade, in order to investigate a report of a theft. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the loss prevention agent of the store who told them that they had been alerted to a possible crime after the theft warning alarm inside the store had been triggered. The loss prevention agent said that he had looked around the store and had noticed that the suspect was in the process of removing a necklace from a display cabinet and was putting the necklace inside his pocket. He said that after doing this the suspect had left the store without paying for the necklace and that he (the loss prevention agent) had followed the suspect from the store and had confronted the suspect about the theft. He said that the suspect had apologized about the theft and had returned to the store. The officers then spoke with the suspect and he again apologized for the theft but told the officers that he did not have any identification on him. The officers arrested this 24-year-old Santa Monica resident and he was taken to jail where he was identified and then cited for petty theft before being released on $500 bail.
Give Me Back My Back Pack.
On Thursday, March 17, at 11:05pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to assist Harbor Patrol officers who had detained two suspects in the 1500 block of The Beach in relation to a disturbance of the peace. When the officers arrived at the scene they spoke with the Harbor Patrol officers who told them that the two men were homeless and that they had been fighting each other on the beach due to a dispute regarding the legal ownership of a backpack. The Harbor Patrol officers said that one of the homeless men had accused the other homeless man of possessing a backpack that the first homeless man had claimed was stolen two days prior by an unknown Hispanic male. The officers learned that on the above date the apparent victim of the theft had seen the homeless suspect wearing his clothing and carrying the stolen backpack. He said that they had become embroiled in an argument about the clothing and backpack and that this had led to a physical altercation. The officers questioned both parties and deduced that one of these men had indeed been in possession of the stolen clothes and backpack. The officers arrested the suspect, a 37-year-old homeless man, and he was charged with possession of stolen property. Bail information was not available at the time of going to press.
Cell Leads To Cell.
On Friday, March 18, at 4:40am officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to investigate a robbery that had just occurred in the 100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. The officers sped to the scene of the crime and when they arrived they spotted the victim. The officers spoke with the victim and he told them that he had been utilizing his cell phone when the suspect approached him. He said that the suspect had asked him if he could lend the suspect his cell phone so that the suspect could make a phone call. The victim stated that he had declined this request and that the suspect had responded by attempting to forcefully take the cell phone from the victim’s hands. He added that the suspect had then repeatedly punched him in the face until he had fallen down to the ground and that the suspect had then kicked him in the head several times causing significant bodily injury. He told the officers that this suspect had then fled the scene. Based on a description given by the victim other officers located the suspect a short distance from the crime scene. The officers, in addition to having the victim identify this man, spotted splatters of the victim’s blood on the suspect’s clothing. This 21-year-old Santa Monica resident was thus arrested and charged with felony robbery. Bail was set at $50,000.
Inflammatory Behaviour.
On Monday, March 21, at 7:50am officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to a report of a fire that had been sighted in the 1100 block of the beach. The officers raced to the scene and noticed that a homeless man had lit what appeared to have been a campfire. The officers also noticed that this fire had been set right next to a structure and that it had caused burn damage to one of the walls of the structure. The officers approached this homeless man and as they did so they noticed that the homeless man was becoming agitated and was walking away from them. The officers then observed the man knock over a number of city owned trash cans causing the contents to spill onto the ground. The officers eventually caught and detained this man and he made numerous statements about starting the fire. Based on the evidence and the statements made by this homeless man the officers arrested this 31-year-old homeless man and he was later charged with felony arson. Bail was set at $50,000.
