By Tim Broughton
Locked Out And Locked Up.
On Sunday, July 23, at 2:10 a.m. an officer of the Santa Monica Police Department was flagged down by the victim of an alleged vehicle burglary in the Beach Parking Lot Number One North. The officer spoke with the victim and some witnesses and ascertained that the crime of theft from a vehicle had possibly been committed. The officer learned that the female suspect had been in the parking lot earlier that morning and had been hysterically causing a commotion. Apparently the suspect had told bystanders that she was in a state of panic because she had locked her keys in her car that was parked nearby. The bystanders, taking pity on this woman, assisted in forcing the car door open but as was later revealed they had unwittingly assisted in a crime due to the fact that the car did not belong to the hysterical woman. After the car door had been prized open the suspect entered the vehicle and removed numerous items (valued at a total of $1200) from the vehicle and walked away. The victim had returned to the vehicle and after speaking with some of the bystanders who had helped the suspect break into the car had flagged down the officer. The officer, after hearing this story went in search of the suspect and soon located the woman who was at that time still in the parking lot. After the witnesses had positively identified this 24-year-old Los Angeles resident she was arrested and taken off to jail whereupon the property was recovered and the suspect was charged with vandalism, burglary and receiving stolen property. Bail was set at $20,000.
Jealous Hater.
On Tuesday, July 25, at 4:38 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Santa Monica Pier in order to investigate a report of a battery that had occurred at the location. When the officers arrived they spotted and detained the suspect in this case who was a female person. The officers then spoke with the female victim and learned that the suspect was at one time a romantic partner of the victim. The officers were told that the victim had been walking along Ocean Front Walk with her new romantic partner (a male) when the suspect caught sight of them and began to hurl abuse towards them. The victim added that they walked onto the pier and that the suspect had followed them and once they were on the pier the suspect attacked the victim by punching her in the throat. Santa Monica Police Department Harbor Patrol Officers immediately detained the suspect until the arrival of the police. After being placed under arrest and taken to jail the suspect, aged 38 and homeless, was charged with battery. Bail was set at $20,000.
Sit And Sleep In Jail.
On Thursday, July 27, at 2:54 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were alerted to a possible burglary at the Sleep ‘N’ Aire mattress store located at 1812 Lincoln Blvd. The officers were informed that a Santa Monica Police Department Community Service Officer had observed a possible burglary in progress and had called the incident into dispatch. When the officers arrived at the location the suspect ran away southbound on Lincoln Boulevard but was detained in the 900 block of Olympic Boulevard while the officers investigated. The officers determined that the suspect had wrapped a large rock inside a cloth and had hurled the cloth wrapped rock at the front window of the store in order to smash it so he could burgle the store. The officers arrested this 38-year-old homeless man and he was later charged with vandalism causing more than $400 worth of damage. Bail was set at $20,000.
Both Were Loaded.
On Thursday, July 27, at 9:54 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department who were on routine patrol in the area of Main Street and Bay Street observed a vehicle fail to yield for pedestrians at a crossing. The officers lit up their light strip and conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle with the intention of issuing a citation for failing to yield to pedestrians at a crossing. As the officers approached the vehicle they spotted the passenger of the car attempting to conceal an open can of beer. The officers cautiously requested the occupants of the vehicle to exit the car and after the occupants had exited the officers searched these men. The officers discovered that one of these individuals had a loaded .44 caliber handgun concealed in his waistband and that the other suspect had a warrant out for his arrest for a drunk in public charge. Both of these people were arrested and the first suspect, aged 20 and from Moreno Valley was charged with carrying a loaded firearm in public with gang enhancements (bail set at $75,000) while the second, aged 22 and from Santa Monica was charged with the outstanding warrant with bail being set at $5,000.
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.
