Crime Watch is a weekly series culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Friday, May 7, at 11:32 a.m.
Santa Monica Police officers responded to the 2500 block of Lincoln Boulevard — Arco — regarding an armed robbery. The victim told officers that the suspect approached the counter and pointed a gun at him. The suspect demanded money from the register before coming around the counter to grab the cash from the till. The suspect then struck the victim in the head and fled with $300 in cash. Further investigation revealed the identity of the suspect. He was arrested on May 20 and booked for robbery and a probation violation. He was identified as Karl Wesley, of Gardena. His bail was set at $100,000.
Sunday, May 23, at 3:56 a.m.
Police were summoned to the 1800 block of 17th Street regarding a suspected vehicle burglary. Upon arrival, the reporting party stated he was on his back patio when he heard his back fence rattling. He observed a suspect jump over the fence. He believed it was his roommate entering the backyard, but a check discovered that he was already home. He ran back outside and observed two suspects exiting the backyard. As they were leaving they were seen carrying tools that were in the roommates’ vehicle. The reporting person yelled and chased after the suspects. As he ran down the alley, one of the suspects dropped the stolen property. The other suspect continued down the alley with the remainder of the stolen goods. Officers located the suspects a short distance away. The suspects were identified as Edgar Gutierrez, 21, of Los Angeles; and Sergio Celis, 18, also of Los Angeles. They were charged with burglary and possession of a club. The stolen items were recovered at the scene. Their bails were set at $20,000, respectively.
Sunday, May 23, at 5:07 p.m.
Officers responded to the 2900 block of Neilson Way regarding a possible drug overdose. When officers arrived they made contact with a subject who admitting ingesting drugs earlier in the day. During the investigation, officers found a small plastic bag that contained what was determined to be cocaine. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of pot. He was identified as Robert Rosenbaum, 66, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $10,000.
Friday, May 21, at 9:40 p.m.
Officers were patrolling the area of the 3100 block of Broadway when they observed a vehicle with a front headlight out. The officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. During the stop, officers located methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs, not belonging to the individual, inside the vehicle. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and a probation violation. He was identified as Juan Salas, 44, of Los Angeles. He was not eligible for bail.
Saturday, May 22, at 7:54 p.m.
Officers were patrolling the alley near the 2400 block of Lincoln Boulevard when they observed a subject riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. Officers stopped the rider to issue her a citation. The subject did not have any identification. Further investigation revealed that the subject gave the officers false information about her identity. During a search, officers located a glass cylinder pipe used to smoke narcotics. Officers also located a white crystal substance that turned out to be methamphetamine in the suspect’s possession. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, false impersonation of another person, paraphernalia and a municipal code violation. She was identified as Hannah Thew, 19, a transient. Her bail was set at $50,000
Friday, May 21, at 4:05 p.m
Officers responded to the 2400 block of Pico Boulevard — Rite Aid — regarding a theft that just occurred. Upon arrival, store security advised she observed the suspect place a bottle of wine in his jacket. The suspect continued shopping and placed additional items in his jacket. The suspect then walked past the registers and exited the business. Loss prevention confronted the suspect at which time she fled the scene only to be later detained by responding officers. She was arrested for burglary and a prior warrant. She was identified as Pius Walters, 62, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $20,500.
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Managing Editor Daniel Archuleta compiled these reports.
