By Tim Broughton
She Lost Her Horizons.
On Saturday, October 14, at 10:45 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department went to the Shangri La Hotel, located at 1301 Ocean Avenue in order to investigate a report of a battery that had occurred at the location. Upon arrival at the hotel the officers detained a female who was the alleged culprit. The officers learned that this woman had allegedly struck a member of the security staff at the hotel. The officers were told that this woman had entered the hotel and attempted to make her way to the rooftop bar of the business but due to her highly intoxicated state she had been refused entry. The woman then loitered in the hotel lobby for a while until security staff instructed her to leave the premises. At that point she became belligerent and confrontational before striking several employees numerous times with her closed fist. The hotel management was desirous of a prosecution so the officers arrested this 26-year-old resident of Manhattan Beach and she was later charged with public intoxication and battery. Bail was set at $20,000.
Cutlery Crazy.
On Sunday, October 15, at 7:03 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to investigate an alleged assault that had taken place in the 1700 block of Ocean Front Walk. The officers were told that a man had been threatening to stab passersby with a knife. The officers sped to the scene, located the suspect and detained the individual without incident. The officers then spoke with several witnesses and victims who said that this man had been behaving strangely and yelling at people as they walked along the pathway. The man then pulled out a knife and began to swing it wildly at people while he yelled that he was going to stab them. The officers found a number of knives as well as other items of cutlery in the area and collected these items as evidence. The victims and witnesses were able to positively identify the suspect so the officers arrested this 27-year-old Hollywood resident and he was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon and violation of probation. Bail was not granted.
Headphone Heist.
On Sunday, October 15, at 6:01 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call telling them that there had been a theft attempt at The Apple Store, located at 1415 Third Street Promenade. The officers hastened to the location and detailed the suspect while they investigated. The officers interviewed staff at The Apple Store and determined that this suspect had entered the store, selected several sets of headphones from the sales floor, concealed them upon his person and exited the store without paying for the items. The suspect was apprehended outside the store by the loss prevention agents and brought back inside the store until the officers arrived. The officers arrested the suspect, aged 23 and from Los Angeles and he was later charged with theft. After being issued with the citation the suspect was released.
Diners Club.
On Sunday, October 15, at 3:51 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to investigate a report of a man who had dined in The Cheesecake factory, located at 395 Santa Monica Place, and was unable to pay for his meal. The officers went to the restaurant and immediately recognized the suspect as being a local homeless person who had been accused of the same crime several times before in different restaurants around the city. The officers detained this individual while they spoke with staff members about the incident. The officers were told that this man had entered the restaurant and ordered several tasty items from the menu. The man had devoured the food and when he was presented with his check he claimed that he had lost his wallet and was therefore unable to pay for the dishes. The officers determined that this 27-year-old homeless man had no means with which to pay for the food so they arrested him and he was later charged with defrauding an innkeeper. Bail was set at $500.
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.
