By Tim Broughton
Tread Carefully.
On Monday, December 4, at 5:10 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were in the area of Second Street and Arizona Avenue when they witnessed a person crossing the road against an illuminated sign that signaled, “Don’t Walk.” The officers approached the subject and asked him to stop so that they could enlighten him about the violation but this man refused and attempted to walk away from the officers. The officers chased after this man and caught and detained him before asking him for some identification. The man refused to supply the officers with any identification so they arrested him and he was later charged with resisting and obstructing an officer in the execution of his duties. Bail was set at $10,000.
Sleeping In The Civic.
On Tuesday, December 5, at 5:20 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on a routine patrol in the area of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium when they chanced upon a pair of individuals who had set up a campsite on the north side of the property. The officers were mindful that this was an ongoing problem due to the ever-increasing number of people in Santa Monica who were homeless. The officers approached the pair of campers and told them that they were not allowed by law to set up the campsite at that location. Both of these individuals were uncooperative and displayed a complete disregard for the municipal code that prohibited them from camping in the area. The officers also noted that they were evasive and refused to furnish the officers with any verifiable identification. The officers arrested the pair, one aged 39 and homeless and the other aged 19 and also homeless and they were both charged with illegal camping and giving false information to a police officer. They were released after being issued with their citations.
Fitting Room Fraud.
On Tuesday December 12, at 3L20 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Bloomingdale’s Department Store in order to investigate a suspected theft. The officers went to the store and met with the Loss Prevention Agents of the store who told them that they had been monitoring a suspect as she had entered the store and that they had her in their custody as a result of her activities. The Loss Prevention Agents told the officers that after the suspect had entered the store she had selected several items from the displays and taken the items into a fitting room. The suspect had exited the fitting room after a few minutes and walked towards the exit without paying for any of the merchandise. The Loss Prevention Agents followed the suspect out of the store and confronted her and it was at that moment that they discovered that this individual had taken goods to the value of $447 concealed in a large bag. The suspect aged 18 and from Los Angeles, was charged with shoplifting and bail was set in the amount of $5,000.
The Entrance To Jail.
On Friday, December 15, at 5:00 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were conducting routine checks for livability issues in the downtown area of Santa Monica when they happened upon a woman sleeping in the doorway of 1423 Second Street. The officers were mindful that this woman was, by virtue of sleeping at that location, was in violation of Santa Monica Municipal Code number 4.08.097(a). This code prohibits people sleeping in doorways in Downtown Santa Monica. The officers approached this woman and spoke with her, reminding her of the Municipal Code and asking her for some identification. The woman did not have any such documents so the officers arrested this 29-year-old homeless woman and she was later charged with the sleeping in the doorway violation. 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.
