Mission Impossible.
On Tuesday, September 20, at 1:25 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a call via their police radios informing them that a possible theft suspect was, at that time, involved in physical conflict with some of the employees of The Bike Center, located at 1555 Second St., so the officers rushed to the location to investigate. Upon arrival at The Bike Center the officers saw that the employees had this suspect pinned down on the ground so, after separating all the parties involved the officers began their investigation. The officers learned from the employees of The Bike Center that this individual had entered the premises and had attempted to steal not one, but numerous bicycles from under their noses. The officers were told that the employees intervened and wrestled the suspect down to the ground. Based upon the witnesses’ statements the officers arrested the suspect, aged 22 and from Los Angeles and he was later charged with robbery. Bail was set at $50,000.
The Road To Nowhere.
On Wednesday, September 21, at 12:20 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department spotted a man behaving suspiciously in an undisclosed area of Santa Monica so they began to ask the man some questions. During the course of the questioning the officers asked this individual if they could search him and he agreed. The officers searched this man and discovered upon his person a switchblade knife. The man gave the officers his “name” and after running a computer check the officers discovered that this named person had a no bail warrant from Torrance Police Department so the officers drove the suspect all the way to Torrance and delivered him to the Torrance Police Department. Later that evening the Torrance Police department called the Santa Monica Police Department and told them that the suspect that they had delivered was not the person that he had claimed to be so the Santa Monica Police officers drove all the way back to Torrance, picked up this man and returned to the Santa Monica jail where this 53-year-old homeless man was correctly identified and it was discovered that he actually had a no bail warrant from the California department of Corrections. This man was charged with being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon, impersonating another individual, and the no bail warrant. Bail was not granted and it is unknown at this time if the officers attempted to be reimbursed for the cost of the wasted trips to Torrance.
At The Crossroads Of Her Life.
On Saturday, September 24, at 11:46 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department, who were on patrol in the area of Second Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, spotted a woman walking around aimlessly in the middle of the intersection at that location. The officers noticed that vehicles were having to take emergency measures to avoid hitting this woman so the officers immediately stopped, exited their vehicle and escorted this woman to the sidewalk. The officers were not able to identify this woman at the scene of the crime due to her inability to communicate effectively so they arrested her and took her off to jail. After they arrived at the jail the officers, by way of fingerprints, were able to identify this woman and she was charged with being a pedestrian who was stopping and delaying traffic. This 27-year-old homeless woman was issued a citation and then released.
Smackdown!
On Saturday, September 24, at 8:38 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call telling them that there was a disturbance in progress at the Taco Bell Mexican fast food emporium, located at 2207 Lincoln Blvd. The officers made like Speedy Gonzales and arrived at the location in no time at all but discovered that the suspect had just left the scene. After the officers arrived at the Taco Bell they spoke with a store employee who told the officers that the suspect had entered the restaurant and had demanded food immediately. The employee said that the suspect had been advised that he would have to wait his turn, which the suspect did, apparently quite willingly. After a couple of minutes the employee took the suspect’s order and shortly thereafter handed the suspect his tray of fast food. Upon receipt of the tray of fast food the suspect’s mood apparently did a one-eighty and he suddenly threw the food onto the floor and announced that he was no longer hungry. This man then proceeded to throw a cash register onto the floor (announcing that he no longer needed money?) and then began to curse and yell incoherently. The suspect left the restaurant and headed north on Lincoln Boulevard. Armed with a detailed description of this man the officers went in search and discovered him near the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard. Due to the fact that the Taco Bell manager had indicated that the establishment was desirous of a prosecution this 30-year-old homeless man was arrested and charged with felony vandalism, an outstanding warrant and a violation of probation. Bail was not granted.
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.
