Cut It Out!
On Friday, April 15, at 7:57pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department who were on patrol in the area of the Santa Monica Pier were flagged down by citizens who were standing in the Pier Deck Parking Lot. The officers exited their vehicle and were informed by these citizens that there had been a “fight” at the location and that the officers were needed to stop further trouble and investigate the situation. The officers proceeded to question numerous people at the scene including the suspect. The officers learned that the trouble had originated from a traffic altercation and that the suspect had then produced a knife and had subsequently threatened several people with the knife. The officers were then told that at one point this man had held the knife to a victim’s throat and had threatened to terminate her life there and then. The officers questioned the suspect and also retrieved the knife that had allegedly been used in the assault. The officers arrested this 21-year-old resident of Stanton, California and he was later charged with felony assault. Bail was set at $30,000.
Misdirecting Traffic.
On Friday, April 15, at 12:50pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to attend to a disturbance in the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard. En route to the scene the officers were informed that the suspect had been standing in the street and stopping traffic. The suspect had also been yelling incoherently at vehicles as they traversed the area. The suspect had also kicked a car and had caused a significant dent to the victim’s vehicle in the area of the front left quarter panel. The officers spotted the suspect performing his antics at the intersection of Fifth Street and Olympic Avenue where they took this 40-year old homeless man into custody. The officers, after questioning this man, arrested him and he was charged with felony vandalism and a violation of probation. Bail was set at $20,000.
Recipe For Disaster.
On Saturday, April 16, at 9:34am officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to a residence located in the 2300 block of 14th Street in order to investigate a report of assault with a deadly weapon and arson that had taken place at the domicile. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the victim who told them that the suspect had been inside the residence and had placed a small rug on top of the stove and had then lit on fire by igniting the stovetop burners. He added that the suspect had then locked himself inside the apartment while the rug became completely engulfed in flames. The victim said that he had forced his way into the apartment in order to extinguish the fire and that the suspect had then grabbed a kitchen knife and had attempted to stab the victim with the knife. The suspect had then fled the scene. The officers went in search of this suspect and soon caught sight of him in the area of Fourth Street and Olympic Boulevard. This 23-year-old Santa Monica resident was arrested and charged with felony arson and assault with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $250,000.
No Love Shack.
On Saturday, April 16, at 5:25pm officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a call informing them that a possible armed robbery had taken place at the Radio Shack electronics store, located at 2008 Wilshire Boulevard. The officers rushed to the location in order to investigate. When the officers arrived at the location they spotted a man standing outside who resembled the description of the alleged armed robber so the officers detained this individual while they made their inquiries. The officers spoke with witnesses and learned that this man had entered the Radio Shack and had been confronted by staff members due to the fact that the staff members suspected this man of attempting to steal items from the store. The officers discovered that after the man had been confronted about the attempted theft he had produced a knife and had attempted to leave the store. Based upon their investigations the officers arrested this 51-year-old Sherman Oaks resident and he was later released after being cited for misdemeanor brandishing a knife.
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.
