By Tim Broughton
Food to Go to Jail.
On Wednesday, February 14, at 7:35 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the Marisol restaurant, located at 401 Santa Monica Pier, in order to investigate a report of a man who had enjoyed a delightful meal at the eatery but had left without paying his bill. As the officers were en route to the location they were informed by dispatch that the manager of Marisol was following the suspect as he walked away from the restaurant. When the officers arrived in the area they spotted the suspect with the manager in pursuit. The officers detained the suspect and spoke with the restaurant manager. The manager told the officers that the man had eaten a meal valued at $63.72 but had slipped out of the restaurant without attempting to pay the bill. The suspect, a homeless man, aged 50 years, did not have any means by which to pay the bill and being that the manager of the restaurant was desirous of a prosecution the officers arrested the suspect and he was later charged with defrauding an innkeeper. Bail was set at $500.
One Out of Three Ain’t Bad.
On Wednesday, February 14, at 2:49 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call informing them that a burglary was in progress at the Santa Monica Shores apartment building, located at 2700 Neilson Way. The reporting party had said that three to four individuals had entered the subterranean parking garage of the complex and had stolen at least one bicycle. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with security personnel from the complex and after reviewing security video tape in the complex office they determined that three individuals had entered the garage and left on bicycles. As the officers were examining the scene a security guard ran up to them and said that the suspects had returned to the location and were attempting to enter the garage again. The officers sprang into action and spotted the three suspects. The suspects all ran in different directions but the officers were able to apprehend one of these men as he attempted to escape on a skateboard. The officers searched this man and found that he was in possession of methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia. The officers were able to recover one of the stolen bicycles close to the building. The suspect, aged 29, and from Los Angeles, was charged with burglary, possession of methamphetamine, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and a violation of probation. Bail was not granted.
Declined.
On Thursday, February 15, at 6:44 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that a man had been assaulted at the intersection of Seventh Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. The officers rushed to the scene and spoke with the victim. The victim told the officers that he had been standing at the corner of the intersection waiting to cross the street when the suspect, who appeared slightly drunk and was carrying two bottles of beer, approached her and requested that she perform an undisclosed sexual act upon the suspect. The victim said that she had declined the offer and had told the suspect to “back off.” The suspect responded by throwing beer at the victim. The victim said that at that moment she had walked away briskly and called the police. The officers soon caught hold of the suspect loitering in the area of the 800 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. After the victim positively identified the suspect the officers arrested this 42-year-old resident of Cypress Park and he was later charged with battery and being drunk in public. Bail was set at $20,000.
Inner Child.
On Thursday, February 15, at 3:02 p.m. officers were on patrol in the area of Seventh Street and Colorado Boulevard when they spotted two bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the roadway. This is a vehicle code violation. The officers stopped these two individuals and immediately became suspicious. One of these fully grown men was riding a child’s bicycle that appeared to be comically small for the man’s frame. The officers conducted a check and found that this particular bicycle had been reported as being stolen during a recent residential burglary in Santa Monica. The officers arrested the suspect, aged 55 and homeless, and he was later charged with 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.
