By Tim Broughton
Dinner Interruption.
On Friday, March 2, at 9:27 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call from dispatch informing them that there was a man at the Ingo Restaurant, located at 1213 Wilshire Boulevard, and that this individual had entered the restaurant and begun to throw bottles around, punching at people and generally behaving in an obnoxious and anti-social manner. The officers rushed to the location and detained the person in question before they investigated. The officers learned from several witnesses that the man had, in addition to the aforementioned unruly activities, also been yelling and screaming at patrons as they attempted to enjoy their dinner. The officers spoke with the suspect and quickly formed the impression that this man was under the influence of some kind of mind-altering substance. The officers took this 42-year-old Hollywood resident into custody and searched him. The officers discovered that this man was in possession of a debit card belonging to another individual and that he didn’t have permission to possess the debit card. This man was arrested and later released after being issued with citations for public intoxication and misappropriation of lost property. Bail was set at $500.
Batman.
On Saturday, March 3, at 4:53 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call regarding a man with a (baseball) bat at the Von’s Market, located at 710 Broadway. The officers went to the location and found the man with the bat and immediately detained him. The officers then spoke with the security guard at the market and he said that he had been alerted by several shoppers that there was a man swinging a bat at patrons in the parking lot of the business. The security guard said that he had then approached this man with a bat and thet the man had swung the bat at him while threatening to harm and then kill him with the bat. The security guard then positioned himself a safe distance from the man with the bat and called the police. As the police were en route the suspect apparently repeatedly attacked a metal trash can with the bat, striking it several times. The officers arrested the suspect, aged 25 and from Santa Monica, and he was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats. Bail was set at $50,000.
Gun Control.
On Saturday, March 3, at 8:35 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that there was a large group of suspicious looking men loitering at the intersection of 19th Street and Michigan Avenue and that they possibly were in possession of guns. Officers arrived at the location and located several subjects in the area of 20th Street and Michigan Avenue. The officers searched the men and discovered that one of these individuals was in possession of a loaded .38 caliber handgun that had been concealed in his front waistband. The officers questioned this man about the gun and he was evasive with his answers, giving the officers several false names. The officers utilized their technological advantage and identified the man and discovered that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The officers also discovered a small baggie of methamphetamine upon his person. This 18-year-old man from Van Nuys was arrested and later charged with possessing a loaded firearm in public, being an admitted gang member in possession of a firearm, providing false information to the police and possession of methamphetamine. Bail was not granted.
Bladewalker.
On Saturday, March 3. At 3:52 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to investigate a report of a man with a weapon in the 2000 block of Main Street. The officers hastened to the scene and upon arrival spotted the suspect walking on the sidewalk. The officers noticed that this individual had a large knife in his front pant pocket. The officers detained the man and questioned him. The officers then searched the man and discovered that he had two more daggers concealed in his lower leg area. The officers then did a computer check on this man and discovered that he had been court ordered to never be in possession of weapons of any kind due to his compromised state of mental health. The officers arrested this 62-year-old homeless man and he was later charged with possession of a dirk or dagger and possession of a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $20,000.
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.
