By Tim Broughton
Tooled Up.
On Friday, March 24, at 10:15 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica
Police Department received a radio call informing them that a
suspicious vehicle had been spotted in the area of the 1000 block of
Euclid Avenue. The officers hastened to the area and spotted the
vehicle. The officers conducted a traffic stop on this car and then
spoke with the driver in order to attempt to ascertain his reasons for
driving around that area. As the officers were chatting with the
driver they noticed that there were several tools in the car that could
well be utilized for the purpose of burglary. The officers also noticed
that the vehicle was bereft of license plates and after checking on
their police computer they discovered that the car was registered in
Texas. The officers conducted a search of the vehicle and in doing
so found numerous other burglary tools in addition to narcotics
paraphernalia. The officers arrested the driver (aged 26 and from
North Hollywood) as well as a male passenger (aged 40 and from
Montebello). The driver was charged with possession of burglary
tools and a violation of probation (bail set at $10,000) and the
passenger with possession of burglary tools and possession of
narcotics paraphernalia (bail set at $500).
Unhappy Camper.
On Monday, March 27, at 12:41 p.m. an officer of the Santa Monica
Police Department responded to a radio call about a man who had
set up camp on the sidewalk in the 2500 block of Main Street. The
officer went to the location and told this man that he was in violation
of a Santa Monica Municipal Code that prohibited such an
encampment. The camper became unhappy upon hearing this from
the officer and adopted a belligerent attitude and refused the
officer’s invitation to pack up and leave. After a more concerted
effort to persuade this man to leave the man got up but instead of
complying with the officer’s instructions the man picked up a
wooden stick and swung it at the officer. The officer managed to
protect himself but in doing so sustained injuries to his forearms.
The officer then forced this man down to the ground and a struggle
ensued. The officer prevailed in this struggle and this man was soon
in the back of a police vehicle and on his way to jail where he was
charged with assault with a deadly weapon and forcibly resisting
arrest. Bail for this 52-year- old Los Angeles resident was set at
$50,000. The officer was treated at an area hospital for minor
injuries and released.
An April Fool?
On Saturday, April 1, at 1:03 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica
Police Department were on their way to a call for service when they
saw a man running at a high velocity in traffic lanes in the 2100
block of Neilson Way. The man looked like he was running away
from a third party, although the officers didn’t see anyone chasing
this man. The officers ordered this man to halt but the man ignored
their commands and kept running manically. A few moments later
the man stopped and the officers approached him but the man then
suddenly pushed the officers away and attempted to escape. The
officers struggled with this man and managed to restrain him and
take him into custody. During this struggle the man accidentally
sustained some minor injuries so Santa Monica Fore Department
paramedics were summoned to attend to his injuries. This man was
unappreciative of the medical help provided by the paramedics and
proceeded to spit on the paramedics repeatedly. This 22-year- old
homeless man was arrested and charged with resisting arrest with
force, resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and public
intoxication. Bail was set at $25,000.
She Looked Out At Lookout.
On Saturday, April 1, at 4:49 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica
Police Department responded to a call for service in the 1800 block
of 17th Street in regard to a vehicle burglary. The officers rushed to
the location and met with the victim who was also the reporting
party. The victim told the officers that she had looked out of her
residence window spotted the suspect enter her vehicle and
rummage through it while another person standing nearby appeared
to act as a lookout. She said that she had then walked out to the car
and confronted the suspects, telling them that she had called the
police. The suspects, upon hearing this, began to walk away but the
victim demanded that they return her belongings. One of the
suspects returned her property to her before both suspects ran off in
the direction of Memorial Park, located at 1401 Olympic Boulevard.
The officers went in search of these suspects and discovered that
they were indeed at Memorial Park. After the victim had positively
identified these men they were both arrested. The individual who
had been inside the car, aged 24 and from Santa Monica was
charged with vehicle burglary, possession of opiates, conspiracy and
a violation of probation (bail was not granted) while the lookout,
aged 19 and also from Santa Monica was charged with burglary and
conspiracy with bail set at $20,000.
