By Tim Broughton
Stunning Arrest.
On Tuesday, July 18, at 9:25 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department spotted a pair of bicyclists riding on the sidewalk westbound in the 100 block of Colorado Avenue. This is a violation of a Santa Monica Municipal Code. The officers gave chase and detained the two suspected offenders and began to ask this pair some questions. It transpired that one of these individuals was on probation for burglary so the officers decided that it would be a good idea to conduct a consensual search of both of these men. The officers discovered that one of these individuals was in possession of a stun gun, a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, a pair of bolt cutters, a grinder, some needle-nose pliers, wire-cutters and a crescent wrench, all of which are typically used as burglary tools. This evidence was enough to arrest both of these homeless men and take them off to jail. When the officers arrived at the jail they also discovered that one of the bicycles involved had earlier been reported as having been stolen from outside of the Santa Monica City Hall, which incidentally is just a few yards away from Santa Monica Police Headquarters. The officers contacted the lawful owner of the bicycle and after some paperwork had been completed the owner was able to take the bicycle home. Suspect number one, aged 35 was charged with possession of stolen property, possession of a stun gun, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of burglary tools and riding on the sidewalk. Bail for this man was set at $20,000. The other man, aged 33, was charged with not having a front light on his bicycle and released on $500 bail after being cited.
Take Note.
On Wednesday, July 19, at 12:46 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to investigate a possible robbery at the CVS Store, located at 2505 Santa Monica Blvd. The officers hastened to the scene and as they were en route were told that the suspect had entered the store wearing a mask. The suspect approached a register and began mumbling somewhat incoherent words with one of the words being identified as the word “cash.” The clerk asked the suspect what he wanted and at that moment the suspect handed the clerk a note that read, “hand me all the cash from the register please and thank you.” Another employee who was witnessing the event called the police at that time. When the police arrived at the location they evacuated the store of all of the people present. One of the individuals evacuated was the suspect in this case who walked past the officers still wearing the mask and holding the demand note in his hand. The officers immediately arrested this 22-year-old resident of Sacramento and he was taken off to jail where he was later charged with attempted robbery. Bail was set at $50,000.
Insecure Suspect?
On Wednesday, July 19, at 3:47 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Mail Library, located at 601 Santa Monica Blvd. in order to investigate an alleged assault that had taken place. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the victim who told them that he had been walking along the street with his friend and that they had been laughing about an undisclosed matter. The victim said that suddenly they were approached by the suspect who yelled out, “are you laughing at me?” The victim said that he had assured this individual that he had not been laughing at him, at which point the suspect charged at him and began ferociously punching the victim in the face numerous times. The victim sustained a fractured nose, a broken orbital socket and cuts that caused profuse bleeding. The suspect ran away from the scene after the attack. The following day, July 20, a witness called the police to inform them that the suspect had returned to the location. The police went to the Main Library and after a brief but thorough investigation arrested the suspect, aged 25 and homeless, and he was later charged with battery with serious bodily injury. Bail was set at $50,000.
Big Blue Bus, Big Green Tea.
On Wednesday, July 19, at 12:46 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that a fare dispute was occurring on a Big Blue Bus in the area of Fourth Street and Pico Boulevard. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the reporting party, in this case the bus driver, and detained the suspect. The bus driver told the officers that he had picked up the suspect a few stops prior and that the suspect had attempted to pay with a Metro Bus Token but that the token was invalid. The bus driver informed the suspect that he would have to pay cash for the fare but the suspect responded by becoming angry and telling the driver that he was not going to pay and that the driver would have to call the police. The bus driver then pulled up at another bus stop where there was another bus waiting and escorted his four other passengers off his bus and onto the other one. The bus driver also told the other driver not to allow the suspect onto the bus, the suspect apparently overheard the bust driver saying this and became enraged and threw an open can of Arizona Green Tea at the driver. The can of Arizona Green Tea missed the driver but hit the front window of the bus and some of the Green Tea splashed onto the bus drivers’ shirt. After a brief struggle the officers arrested the suspect, aged 26 and homeless, and he was later charged with assault, fare evasion and resisting arrest. Bail was set at $30,000.
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.
