By Tim Broughton
Don’t Look At Intersection
On Sunday, March 19, at 2:15 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a report from a Traffic Services Officer (TSO) that a man had been exposing his genitals to random citizens as they walked past the location where the man was standing, namely the intersection of Fourth Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. The officers rushed to the location in order to uncover the specifics of this incident and when they arrived they spoke with the TSO. The TSO pointed the suspect out to the officers and the officers detained this man. The officers searched the individual and discovered that he was in possession of narcotics paraphernalia. The officers also discovered that this man had four outstanding warrants for a variety of offences. This 49-year-old Los Angeles resident was arrested and later charged with indecent exposure, possession of drug paraphernalia and outstanding warrants. Bail was set at $120,000.
Who’s Been Sitting In My Car?
On Monday, March 20, at 4:14 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that a female citizen had allegedly been the victim of a robbery in the area of Fifth Street and Broadway. The officers hastened to the location and when they arrived they met with the victim. The officers spoke with the victim who told them that she had been walking back to her car and as she approached the vehicle she noticed a man was sitting inside the passenger seat. The said that she had then run towards the car and when she arrived she opened the door and asked this man to exit the vehicle immediately. She added that the suspect exited the car and walked away and it was at that moment that she realized that her car had been ransacked and that there was money missing from her wallet. The victim told the officers that she then ran over to the suspect and attempted to retrieve her money and that a passerby, after noticing the fracas, intervened and tried to assist in the struggle. The suspect was able to break away and ran from the scene. The officers, armed with a description of the suspect went in search and located the suspect a couple of blocks away. The officers detained this man and after the victim and other witnesses positively identified this 59-year-old Los Angeles resident he was arrested and charged with robbery, theft and a violation of probation. The victim was able to retrieve some of the money that had been stolen and bail for this man was denied due to the probation conditions.
Make Your Mind Up!
On Wednesday, March 22, at 6:13 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on patrol in the area of the 400 block of Colorado Boulevard when they spotted a man pushing a shopping cart. In violation of a Santa Monica City Ordinance that prohibits the pushing of shopping carts on public streets. The officers parked their police vehicle and advised this man that he was not supposed to be in possession of the shopping cart and that he could receive a violation for being in possession of the cart. The man, upon hearing this news, became upset and then illogically demanded that the officers immediately write him the citation. The officers agreed to write the citation and in response to this concurrence the man became unruly and told the officers that if they did write the citation he would refuse to sign it. The man then challenged both of the officers to a fight so the officers arrested this 35-year-old evidently indecisive homeless person and he was later charged with possession of a shopping cart in violation of SMMC 22435.2 (f) B&P, and probation violation. Bail was not granted.
Hidden Secrets.
On Thursday, March 23, at 5:06 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to Sear’s, located at 302 Colorado Ave. in response to a call regarding two suspects that had allegedly stolen merchandise from the store and then fled the location. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with loss prevention agents from the store who told them that the two individuals had entered the store and walked around the sales floor. The loss prevention agents said that as the two suspects were walking around the store they were seen to take numerous items of merchandise from display cabinets and conceal said items upon their persons before exiting the store without paying for the merchandise. The loss prevention agents followed the suspects out of the store and confronted both of them. One of the suspects walked away but the loss prevention agents were able to detain the other suspect and retrieve approximately $180 worth of merchandise from this man before he too broke loose and left the scene. After speaking with the loss prevention agents the officers went in search of these suspects and discovered both of them standing in the 1600 block of Ocean Avenue. The officers detained these men at that location. After the suspects had been positively identified by the loss prevention agents the officers searched the suspects and discovered that the one who had initially walked away from the loss prevention agents was in possession of narcotics paraphernalia. Sear’s was desirous of a prosecution so these men, one aged 25 and from Los Angeles, and the other aged 29 and a Santa Monica resident, were arrested. The younger of the two was charged with shoplifting and possession of burglary tools (bail set at $5,000) while the 29-year-old was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and had bail set at $250.
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.
