Cadillac Escapade.
On Wednesday, August 17, at 6:26 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were requested to attend the area of 21st Street and Broadway in order to investigate a report of a theft and vandalism. The details of the request suggested that a Hispanic gentleman, wearing a light colored shirt and black pants, had ripped the Cadillac emblem from a parked vehicle (presumably a Cadillac) and was at that time walking eastbound on Broadway. As the officers approached the area they spotted a man fitting the general description of the suspect in the area of 23rd Street and Broadway so they stopped and began to chat with the man. The officers noticed that this man was carrying a red and white guitar and two women’s purses. The officers conducted a consensual search of the man and discovered the Cadillac emblem inside one of the women’s purses. Additionally the officers found that this purse also contained female hygiene products. The suspect was unable to explain why he had the Cadillac emblem or the female hygiene products. The officers looked inside the other purse and discovered a USC folder containing miscellaneous high school paperwork that did not appear to be the property of this suspect. A few moments later this suspect was positively identified by the witness to the Cadillac emblem theft and as the officers were concluding their investigation they received a report via radio that a red and white guitar had been stolen from the 400 block of Arizona Avenue. The stolen guitar appeared to match perfectly the guitar that this suspect was carrying so the officers arrested this 25-year-old man of no apparent abode and he was later charged with possession of stolen goods, theft and vandalism. Bail was not granted.
Unfitting Behavior.
On Wednesday, August 17, at 5:30 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the 24-Hour Fitness facility located at 2929 31st Street in order to investigate an alleged assault. When the officers arrived at the scene they spoke with the victim who told them that he had been at the gymnasium in order to increase his level of fitness and had spotted a piece of fitness enhancement equipment that he had a desire to utilize. He said that there had been a duffle bag containing unknown items lying in the way of the machine and that he had picked this duffle bag up and hung it up out of the way. He told the officers that shortly after he had done this the owner of the duffle bag had approached him and had pushed him in the chest causing him to fall down to the ground. He added that the owner of the duffle bag had then told him that if he ever touched his (the duffle bag owner’s) stuff again he would kill him. The officers then located the owner of the duffle bag who confessed to pushing the victim and causing the victim to fall to the ground. The owner of the duffle bag added that he was being protective of his belongings due to a recent upsurge in thefts at the location. The officers arrested the owner of the duffle bag and charged this 43-year-old Hawthorne resident and he was charged with assault. Bail was set at $20,000.
It’s A Wrap!
On Thursday, August 18, at 4:25 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Von’s Market, located at 1311 Wilshire Boulevard in order to investigate a report of theft. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the manager of the store who told them that she had seen the suspect enter the store and had recognized this individual as being a person who is suspected of stealing numerous items from the store on several previous occasions. She said that after spotting this man in the store she had posted other staff members at all the exits of the store so that when the suspect left they would be able to apprehend him. The suspect was seen to take several items of food and drink and conceal them upon his person but had apparently realized that he could not leave the store without being challenged so he had gone to the bathroom and locked himself inside. When the officers arrived at the store they banged on the bathroom door and identified themselves as police officers. The suspect exited the bathroom but he did not have any of the items on him at that time. The staff members looked inside the trashcan of the bathroom and discovered several wrappers and bottles that had moments earlier contained the merchandise that the suspect had carried into the bathroom upon his person. The suspect was homeless and bereft of any means with which to pay for these items so the officers arrested this 33-year-old individual and he was later charged with commercial burglary. Bail was set at $5,000.
No Way To Stay Free.
On Friday, August 18, at 1:55 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to the eastbound lanes of the Interstate 10 Freeway at Fourth Street in order to investigate a report of a man walking in the freeway while flailing his arms around wildly. When the officers arrived at the scene they spotted this man walking along the freeway embankment and attempted to speak with him. The man ignored the officers for a while before he suddenly sprinted across the eastbound lanes of the freeway, climbed over the center divide and began walking eastbound in the westbound lanes of traffic. After this man had walked a few yards in the westbound lanes of traffic he was seen by the officers to throw an unknown hard object at a passing vehicle that was heading westbound on the freeway. The officers then made the decision to shut down the entire freeway so that they could safely apprehend the subject. The freeway was shut down and the officers approached this man who then began to run up the freeway off ramp at Lincoln Boulevard, where other officers detained the man. This 37-year-old homeless man was arrested and charged throwing a projectile a vehicle on the highway and obstructing the police. Bail was set at $10,000.
