Tim Broughton
Mirror Contributor
Dishonorable Conduct.
On Tuesday, February 7, at 11:44 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on routine patrol in the area of Gandara Park (previously known as “Stewart Street Park” and located in the 1800 block of Stewart Street, it was recently renamed in recognition of Santa Monica resident, Joe Gandara, who was a Medal of Honor recipient killed in combat in France in 1944 at the age of 20) when they were flagged down by a citizen. The citizen told the officers that he had just been robbed of his wallet and the suspect was within view and attempting to escape on a bicycle. The officers immediately hurried after the suspect who attempted to evade capture but the officers prevailed and detained the man in the 2600 block of Pico Boulevard. The officers investigated and learned from the victim that he and the suspect were acquainted with each other. The officers also learned that the pair had entered the bathroom in the park in order to smoke some marijuana and that the victim had removed his wallet so that he could access his lighter. He had placed the wallet on a shelf in the bathroom. The victim said that after using the lighter to smoke some marijuana he had remembered that he had placed his wallet on the shelf but when ho looked in the direction of the shelf he noticed that the wallet was missing. The victim confronted the suspect who denied taking the wallet and walked out of the bathroom and began to flee. It was at that time that the victim had flagged down the approaching police vehicle. The officers searched the suspect and discovered the victim’s wallet so they arrested this 25-year-old Los Angeles resident and he was charged with theft, resisting arrest and a violation of probation. Bail was set at $10,000.
Coffee Stains Relationship.
On Wednesday, February 8, at 10:45 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the 1300 block of 15th Street in order to investigate a report of robbery. Upon arrival at the location the officers met with the victim and discovered that this victim and the female suspect (who knew each other) had become embroiled in an argument over an unspecified personal matter when the suspect had thrown a cup of hot coffee at the victim. The suspect had then forcibly removed the victim’s cell phone before fleeing with said device. The officers, armed with a detailed description of the suspect went in search of this woman and soon spotted her loitering surreptitiously in the 1500 block of Arizona Avenue. The officers questioned the suspect and found out that she had hidden the cell phone in a nearby alley. The officers retrieved the cell phone and returned it to the victim. The victim was desirous of a prosecution so the officers arrested this 26-year-old Los Angeles resident and she was charged with robbery. Bail was set at $50,000.
Unacceptable Terms.
On Thursday, February 9, at 12:26 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that an assault with a deadly weapon was in progress at that time in the 1500 block of Fourth Street. The officers rushed to the scene and discovered that the victim was at that time lying down on the ground suffering from head injuries. The eagle-eyed officers took only seconds to spot the suspect hiding nearby. The officers tactically approached the suspect and ordered him to comply. Initially the suspect resisted the officers but realizing that such resistance was futile eventually complied. The officers investigated. They discovered that the victim and the suspect had been negotiating with each other over the terms of a transaction involving the sale of a single cigarette. Apparently the negotiations had broken down and this had led to an argument, which in turn had led to the suspect attacking the victim with a metal pipe. The victim had, after sustaining several blows, managed to ward off the assault by using a box cutter that he just happened to be carrying at the time. Santa Monica Paramedics treated the victim at the scene for head injuries while the officers arrested the suspect, aged 57 and a Santa Monica resident and later charged him with robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and violation of parole (also for assault with a deadly weapon.) Bail was not granted.
Grumpy Old Man.
On Thursday, February 9, at 8:20 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on patrol in the area of the 2600 block of 26th Street when they were approached by a reporting party informing them that there had been some problems with a neighbor. The officers recognized the address of the alleged problem neighbor as being the same one that, on three occasions the previous evening, other officers had been requested to visit for complaints of harassment. The officers learned that this neighbor had spent the entire night and into that morning continuously yelling insults, expletives and numerous derogatory comments at the victims. The suspect had included threats to harm the victims in the eight to ten hour marathon tirade. The victims were desirous of a prosecution so the officers arrested the neighbor, aged 68 of Santa Monica and he was charged with threats and causing a disturbance. Bail was set at $20,000.
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.
