By Tim Broughton
Diplomacy Fails.
On Tuesday, June 20, at 8:52 a.m. Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that an assault with a deadly weapon incident had occurred in the 3100 block of Lincoln Boulevard. The officers were told that a suspect had attempted to stab a victim with a pair of scissors. The officers arrived at the scene and located the parties involved and detained the suspect. The officers discovered that the victim had overheard an argument between the suspect and a female individual and after the suspect had hurled some verbal insults at the female individual the suspect began to walk away at which point the victim had approached the suspect. The victim attempted to find a peaceful resolution to the dispute between the suspect and the female at which time the suspect grabbed the victim by the shirt, produced a pair of scissors from his pant pocket and threatened to stab the victim with the scissors. After the victim had positively identified the suspect the officers arrested the suspect, aged 50, and of no fixed abode, and he was later charged with criminal threats and brandishing a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $50,000.
Early Shopper.
On Wednesday, June 21, at 10:46 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department reacted to an alarm that had been triggered at the currently-still-under-construction Whole Foods Market, located at 2121 Cloverfield Blvd. When the officers arrived at the location they entered the store and heard the sound of someone rummaging through boxes so they followed the sound and spotted a man who was in the middle of a box rummaging session. The officers detained this man and deduced that he had absolutely no business being at the site and that he was also in possession of several items that belonged to the construction company involved in building the Whole Foods Market at that location. The suspect could not explain to the officers why he was in possession of these items. The officers arrested the suspect, aged 28 and a resident of Santa Monica and he was later charged with burglary and vandalism. Bail for this man was set at $20,000.
Newton’s Law.
On Wednesday, June 21, at 12:47 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call informing them that a man was down on the Santa Monica Pier. The officers rushed to the location and saw the individual in question lying on the ground, accompanied by a can of beer that was lying next to him. The officers asked this man if he could stand up and the man gingerly wobbled to his feet, stood upright for a few seconds, then succumb to Newton’s law and fall back down again. The officers deduced from the presence of the beer container, the demeanor of the man along with his inability to remain upright for any feasible length of time that this man was intoxicated so they decided to take him into custody for his own well-being as much as any public intoxication offence that he may have committed. The officers attempted to place this man in the back of their police vehicle and as they were doing so the man took a kick at one of the officers, striking the officer in the face but not injuring the officer. This 25-year-old homeless man was later charged with public intoxication and battery upon a police officer. Bail was set at $20,000.
The Gift of Jail.
On Thursday, June 22, at 12:30 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a call for service about a suspicious person who had been seen attempting to open car doors in the 700 block of Ozone Avenue. The officers hastened to the location and spotted the suspect in the 600 block of Ozone Avenue whereupon they promptly detained the individual. The officers learned that the reporting party had watched this man by way of his video security system attempting to open numerous car doors. The officers searched the suspect and discovered that he was in possession of multiple gift cards in addition to a phone charger. The suspect admitted to the officers that he had been opening card doors and removing items without the owners’ permission and after the reporting party had positively identified the suspect the officers arrested this 19-year-old homeless man and he was later charged with vehicle tampering and possession of stolen property. Bail was set at $1,000.
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.
