By Tim Broughton
Guns and Speed
On Tuesday, December 12 at 1:16 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department who were on routine patrol in the area of the 2100 block of Ocean Avenue spotted a car that was not fitted with license plates. The officers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop in the 2100 block of Main Street. The officers spoke with the driver of the vehicle and determined that this individual was not in possession of a drivers’ license and also that the car contained marijuana. The officers also discovered that the passenger of the vehicle was on probation for identity theft. The officers thus had cause to search the vehicle and discovered that the driver was in possession of a syringe. The officers checked the VIN number of the car and found that this vehicle had been reported as being stolen from the San Bernardino area. The officers searched inside the car and found a semi-automatic firearm as well as some more narcotics paraphernalia in addition to methamphetamine. The officers arrested the driver and passenger. The driver, aged 27 and from Montclair was charged with grand theft auto, possession of narcotics and possession of a firearm. Bail was set at $35,000. The passenger, aged 24 and from Pomona was charged with grand theft auto, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm. Bail was denied for this individual.
Bad Reception On Phone
On Tuesday, December 12 at 1:40 p.m. a Santa Monica Community Service Officer (CSO) responded to a report of a theft at a business located at 1530 Fourth Street. Upon arrival at the location the CSO spoke with the victim who said that she had stepped away from the reception desk (where she had been working) and had left her phone on the reception desk. She said that when she returned she noticed that her phone was missing. The CSO reviewed the surveillance recordings at the business and noticed that a suspect had entered the reception as another person was leaving and had then looked around, presumably noticed that nobody else was present, and then picked up the cell phone and left the building. The following day, December 13, at 11:18 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department who were on routine patrol in the area of Memorial Park, located at 1401 Olympic Boulevard, noticed a man smoking a cigarette in contravention of a Santa Monica Municipal Code. The officers spoke with this man and discovered that he was wanted by the Culver City Police Department in connection to a robbery investigation. The officers searched this man and discovered that he was in fact in possession of the cell phone that had been stolen the previous day. The officers arrested this man and when they returned to the police station reviewed the video tape from the previous day pertaining to the cell phone theft and identified the suspect as being the same aforementioned suspect. The officers later charged this 28-year- old homeless man with burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and the Culver City warrant. Bail was set at $150,000.
A Stick Up
On Tuesday, December 12 at 9:55 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a call alerting them to an assault that was taking place at that time in the area of Main Street and Olympic Boulevard. The officers sped to the location and immediately detained all the parties involved. The officers spoke with the victim who told them that for no reason whatsoever the suspect, a 28-year- old homeless man, had chased him with a stick, caught up with him, pushed him to the ground and beat him about the head and body with the stick. The officers noticed wounds upon the victim that were consistent with his statements. The officers called out Santa Monica Fire Department Paramedics who treated the victim at the scene before the officers arrested the suspect and took him off to jail. This man was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon and bail was set at $30,000.
Mail Men
On Wednesday, December 13 at 4:29 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call regarding two suspects who had been seen walking through an apartment complex located at 841 Sixth Street. The reporting party stated that these individuals were looking through mail that had been delivered to the complex earlier that day and that they had left the location carrying mail. The reporting party told the officers that he was following the suspects at that time. As the officers were talking with the reporting party the suspects left another apartment building and walked into a nearby alley. The officers arrived at the scene and detained the suspects. The officers searched these individuals and discovered mail from numerous addresses in the area in addition to some methamphetamine. The officers arrested the suspects and suspect number one, aged 43 and from Santa Monica, was later charged with conspiracy, identity theft with 10 or more victims and possession of methamphetamine (bail set at $50,000) while suspect number two, aged 31 and also from Santa Monica, was charged with conspiracy, identity theft with 10 or more victims and possession of methamphetamine with bail for this man also being set at $50,000.
