At the Beach
Friday, September 12 at 11:30 p.m. – 1500 block of Pacific Coast Highway – Officers responded to a call reporting a Fight in a beach parking lot (Lot 1 North, as the City calls it). They detained four persons identified by a woman who said she was punched several times without provocation and had her purse stolen by the group. After the woman had identified the one man and three women who were involved, and the officers recovered her purse from one of the group, all four (from Los Angeles, North Hollywood, and Inglewood) were booked for robbery, and various combinations of the four were also charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, obstructing justice, and violation of probation.
On the Pier
Sunday, September 14 at 12:02 a.m. – 300 block of The Pier – Officers responded to a report that a man had pulled a knife on an employee at Bubba Gump restaurant. The police later discovered that the alleged knife wielder had eaten in the restaurant, but could not pay for his meal and simply left. When the employee confronted the man, he reportedly pulled out a pocket knife, lunged at the employee, and threatened to kill him. The fellow then fled on foot, but the employee followed him until the police arrived. The man, a transient, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats… and for defrauding an innkeeper.
On the Boulevard
Sunday, September 14 at 11:00 a.m. – 500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard – Officers responded to a report from a manager at Circuit City who was following a man suspected of burglary. The manager told police that the man had stolen a camcorder from the store three days before and had been caught on videotape, that he (the manager) had filed a police report on the day of the theft, and that after viewing the videotape he (the manager) recognized the man as a fellow who frequents the store. The manager directed the officers to the man, who was detained. An in-field computer check showed that the man had an outstanding warrant for petty theft with a prior conviction. He was arrested for burglary and on the warrant. At the police station, officers found that the man, a transient, was also in possession of other new electronic equipment with no receipt, and so he was booked for burglary, the outstanding warrant, possession of stolen property, and violation of probation.
