By Tim Broughton
Something Fishy.
On Sunday, May 7, at 9:09 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a report from a witness at Sushi Roku, located at 1401 Ocean Ave., that a man had removed a knife from his sock and had discreetly concealed it inside his waistband. The man was said to have a suspicious and dastardly demeanor and this had caused much concern in the mind of the witness. The officers hurried to the scene and spotted the suspect standing outside the premises. The officers gave the suspect commands to remain still and put his hands behind his back so that they could detain him with handcuffs while they investigated. The suspect complied with the officers. The suspect was then searched and the officers discovered that this man did have a knife concealed inside a sheath tucked into his waistband. This 25-year-old Los Angeles resident was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed dirk or dagger. Bail was set at $20,000.
Charges Dumped.
On Monday, May 8, at 6:35 a.m. an officer of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to the Santa Monica Pier in order to investigate a report of a man who had allegedly defecated in front of the general public. When the officer arrived at the location he spotted a man who fit the description of the suspect. This man was sitting on a bench situated on the pier deck, smoking a cigarette and drinking from a half-full (or half-empty in this case) bottle of whiskey. The officer was unable to directly connect this man with the crime of defecating in public so those charges were not applied but the officer did arrest the suspect and he was later charged with the offences of possession of an open alcohol container in addition to smoking on the Santa Monica Pier. This 27-year-old Los Angeles resident was released after being issued citations for the alleged crimes.
Grandé Theft.
On Monday, May 8, at 8:10 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Starbuck’s Coffee House, located at 1447 Lincoln Blvd., in order to investigate a report of a possible theft of food from the business. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with staff members who told them that the suspect had walked into the store, selected numerous items of food from the display cabinet, sat down at a table, and consumed the food without paying for any of the items. The officers learned that the man did not have any intention of laying for the items and was bereft of any money. The officers asked the man if he had any intention of paying for the items and he replied that he did not. This 36-year-old homeless man was arrested and later charged with theft. He was released after being issued the citation for the alleged crime.
Bicycle Business Saddled By Theft
On Thursday, May 11, at 2:29 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that a robbery had taken place at Cynergy Cycles, located at 2300 Santa Monica Blvd. The officers drove to the location and detained the suspect who was at that time walking away from the bicycle store. The officers then spoke with the store manager who told them that the suspect had entered the store, selected a number of unspecified items and exited the store without paying for any of the items. The store manager had followed this man out of the store and confronted the suspect about the items. The suspect became angry at that point and adopted a fighting stance with feet staggered and placed slightly wider than the hips and with both arms raised with his left arm positioned slightly in front of his right arm with his fists clenched. The suspect then took numerous swings at the manager but the manager was able to dodge and avoid the attempted blows. The officers arrested the suspect, aged 23 and from Santa Monica, and he was later charged with robbery 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.
