On Friday, Jan. 21, at 1:30 p.m. officers were on routine patrol in the area of the 500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard when they observed three individuals adjacent to a public building. The officers took a more detailed look at these individuals, and noticed that one of the individuals was openly violating the Santa Monica Municipal Code (4.44) that prohibits the activity of smoking near a public entrance to a building.
The officers moved in and made contact with the violator. The officers began conversing with the code breaker and discovered that he was on probation. The officers continued questioning the man and concluded that this municipal miscreant was also intoxicated. As they proceeded with their investigation they discovered even more incendiary evidence in the form of an open container of alcohol, and a cellular phone that had been stolen from a vehicle in Los Angeles County. To cap it all off the officers smoked out some prescription pills (without paperwork) on this person.
At the end of it all, this 45-year-old Los Angeles man was charged with possession of stolen property, public intoxication, probation violation, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, and possession of an open container of alcohol. Perhaps this was day that will be burnt upon his memory for some time to come. His bail was set at $20,000.
