Tim Broughton
Mirror Contributor
Man With Gun!
On Wednesday, November 2, at 8:55 a.m. an officer of the Santa Monica Police Department, who was on routine patrol in the 100 block of Colorado Boulevard, spotted an individual that he recognized from an internal Santa Monica Police Department All Points Officer Safety Bulletin. The bulletin alerted police officers that this man had recently caused a disturbance at a local homeless shelter and also that the man had been seen with a loaded handgun in his possession. The officer requested backup and when the other officers arrived at the scene they all approached the individual. The officers attempted to identify the subject and during the course of the investigation the suspect told the officers that he was on probation. This man also admitted to being in possession of a loaded handgun, and claimed that he had been issued a license to carry the handgun by the State of Georgia. The officers searched this man’s backpack and discovered a semi-automatic handgun ammunition and several high capacity magazines. The officers arrested this 27-year-old resident of Conyers, Georgia and he was later charged with possession of high capacity magazines and carrying a loaded firearm in public without a California issued concealed weapons permit. Bail was set at $20,000.
The Key To The Cells
On Wednesday, November 2, at 6:16 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the 500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in order to investigate a report of vandalism. When the officers arrived at the location they spoke with the victim who told them that his car had just been “keyed” (the act of running a key along the side of a vehicle causing the paint to be damaged). The victim pointed the officers in the direction of the female suspect who was sitting on a nearby bus bench. The officers detained this suspect while they investigated. The victim told the officers that he had parked his car at the curb on Santa Monica Boulevard next to where the suspect had been situated and that upon exiting his vehicle the suspect had, for no apparent reason, began to yell obscenities at him. The victim said that he had ignored this woman and had proceeded to a nearby coffee shop. As the victim was in the coffee shop he noticed (via the glass window of the coffee shop) that the suspect had walked along the side of his car and had appeared to have “keyed” the conveyance. The victim added that after he had exited the coffee shop and returned to his vehicle he noticed a large scratch along the side of his car and it was then that he had summoned the assistance of the police. Based upon the statements of the victim the officers arrested the suspect, aged 47 and from Los Angeles, and she was later charged with causing over $400 worth of damage. Bail was set at $20,000.
Suitcase Case.
On Thursday, November 3, at 6:10 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call informing them that that a fight was in progress at the Von’s Market, located at 710 Broadway and that the fight that involved a suspected thief and a security guard employed at the market. When the officers arrived at the Von’s Market a store employee directed them towards the suspect whom they detained while they investigated. The officers learned that the suspect had entered the store earlier that day and had been carrying a suitcase. The officers were told that this man had been seen by a customer to have placed various items from the store into his suitcase and that the customer had informed store security. The security guard had then watched this suspect discretely and had seen the suspect place additional items inside the suitcase. The security guard had then challenged the suspect and the suspect had removed some of the items but before removing all of them had closed the suitcase and had pushed and grappled with the security guard in an attempt to escape. The officers arrested this 56-year-old Los Angeles resident and he was charged with robbery and a violation of parole. Bail was set at $50,000.
The Fugitive.
On Thursday, November 3, at 1:56 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department spotted a vehicle in the 300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard and in doing so noticed that this vehicle had an unspecified equipment violation (this could have been non-functioning brake lights, overly dark window tints on the driver and front passenger windows or any number of similar transgressions). The officers conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle and after conducting a computer check of the driver they discovered that the driver was a wanted fugitive from Arkansas. The officers also found that the driver had an outstanding felony warrant from the Beverly Hills Police Department. The officers arrested this 40-year-old homeless man and after they had secured him in the back of their patrol car searched the vehicle. The officers subsequently found numerous identification cards and other items registered to another person inside the vehicle. This man was charged with possession of identification documents with intent to defraud, being an out-of-state fugitive and the felony warrant. Bail was not granted.
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.
