By Tim Broughton
Chance Encounter.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call telling them that there was a case of “suspicious circumstances” in the area of Third Street Promenade and Broadway. The officers sped to the location and whilst en route learned that the reporting party had said that she had been the victim of theft earlier that day (she had reported the theft at the time that it took place) and that she had chanced upon the individual who had stolen her items. She said that she was at the Apple Store, located at 1415 Third Street Prom. and that she had noticed a subject enter the store carrying what she believed to be her property. She stated that she had confronted this person and found that this man also had several items belonging to her, including sunglasses, laptop case, make-up bag and a charger, She informed a security guard at The Apple Store and was with the assistance of the guard able to retrieve the items and wait for the police to arrive. When the officers did arrive they were able to locate the suspect. The officers arrested this 34-year-old homeless man and he was later charged with receiving stolen property as well as a violation of parole. Bail was not granted.
Too Close For Comfort.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were conducting a routine check of the 1600 block of the I-10 Freeway when they spotted two individuals, a man and a woman, huddled together in a sleeping bag amongst the vegetation at the side of the freeway. The officers woke the pair up and immediately recognized them as being two individuals with whom they had had previous encounters. The officers also knew that both of these people had been issued with court orders forbidding them to be at that location. Additionally the male subject had been issued with a court order against him being in the company of the female, due to previous assaultive and violent behavior that he had exhibited towards this female. They were both arrested and the male (aged 32 and homeless) was charged with violation of the two aforementioned court orders with bail being set at $20,000, while the female (aged 39 and homeless) was charged with violation of the court order forbidding her to be in that area as well as three Santa Monica warrants. Bail for her was set at $70,000.
Exit Into Jail.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 12:46 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a radio call from a building security guard who said that at that time he was in the process of monitoring, by way of security cameras, two people who were stealing bicycles from the subterranean parking garage at a complex located in the 2900 block of Neilson Way. The officers went to the scene and began to survey the area. As the officers were walking towards an entryway to the parking garage one of the suspects exited the gate carrying a bicycle. This man matched the description that the officers had been given courtesy of the reporting party. The officers took this man into police custody and after the security guard had formally identified the suspect the officers searched the man. The search revealed that this man was in possession of several suspected stolen items, including cell phones and watches, as well as burglary tools and a bindle of methamphetamine. This 36-year-old resident of Inglewood was arrested and later charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and possession of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $50,000.
Baby Steps.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, at 3:20 p.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a request from the Santa Monica Fire Department to assist them with a man who had been acting erratically while holding an infant child in the downtown area of Santa Monica. The officers met with the Santa Monica Fire Department personnel who told the officers that concerned citizens had flagged them down and told them that the man had been walking in the street with the child in his arms while pushing a stroller. They said that witnesses had said that the man was weaving in and out of traffic and that he had narrowly escaped being hit numerous times. The officers spoke with this man and it soon became clear that the man was very, very drunk. The officers also discovered that the man was the father of the infant child. The officers arrested this 47-year-old resident of Santa Monica and he was later charged with child neglect and public intoxication. Bail was set at $100,000. The infant child was placed into the custody of his mother.
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.
