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.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 2:38 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1500 block of Lincoln Boulevard — Denny’s — regarding a report of a theft in progress. When officers arrived, they made contact with the restaurant manager who said that two men went into the eatery, ordered and ate their food; they were seated for more than an hour. The manager was concerned the men were not going to pay, and she was right, police said. Officers approached the men, who admitted that they had no means to pay. One of the suspects said he initially offered to cover both meals, but when the bill came, he realized he didn’t have any money. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for defrauding an innkeeper. The loss for the restaurant was $32. The suspect was identified as Derrick Wilson, 21, a transient.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 10:45 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue regarding a suspicious person following employees to their vehicles as they left from work. When officers arrived, they saw the suspect walking away from Sears and detained him in front of the Public Safety Facility. The suspect said he was looking for a job at the retailer and had just came to the police station to ask for a job. Officers searched the suspect and recovered a pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The suspect was placed under arrest and booked for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was identified as Clifton Carr, 33, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $10,000.
Thursday, Sept. 29, at 3:49 p.m.,
Officers were on routine patrol in the 1600 block of 12th Street when they noticed a white Ford commercial van double parked in the roadway. Officers also noticed that the front and rear license plates were different. Officers pulled to the side and made contact with the driver, who said that the van was his and denied any knowledge of the plates being different. Officers dug a little further and found the correct license plates underneath the other plates, which turned out to be stolen. The driver admitted that he had purchased the stolen plates for $20 in Los Angeles, but he would not say anything else. The suspect was placed under arrest and booked for receiving stolen property. He was identified as Gilberto Armijo, 57, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $20,000.
Friday, Sept. 30, at 2:01 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Wilshire Boulevard regarding a report of a suspicious person attempting to open a car door using a wire hanger. Upon arrival, officers detained a man and a woman who were trying to open the passenger side door. During their investigation, officers learned that the registered owner of the vehicle did not match the names the suspects gave to police. Officers later determined that the man gave them a fake name. When they ran his prints, they were able to learn that he was on parole for burglary. Both suspects were in possession of clothing from various stores on the Third Street Promenade. The clothes still had their security sensors attached and the suspects could not provide receipts, officers said. Officers called the stores and spoke with employees there who said the suspects entered the stores and concealed clothing in bags and then left without paying for the items. Officers placed both suspects under arrest. The male was identified as Raul Alfaro, 42, of Los Angeles. He was booked for burglary, conspiracy and a parole violation. No bail was set. The female suspect was identified as Vanessa Macias, 27, of Los Angeles. She was booked for burglary, conspiracy and a probation violation. No bail was set.
Friday, Sept. 30, at 10:05 p.m.,
Officers on foot patrol in the area of Third Street and Santa Monica Boulevard made contact with a “downtown service officer” who told them that he had just been beaten by a man as he walked by. Officers followed the suspect, who was about 50 feet in front of them, as he walked along the promenade. The suspect was seen arguing with a street performer, at which time officers approached and detained the man on suspicion of public intoxication. As one of the officers tried to pat down the suspect, he allegedly tried to grab onto one of the officer’s thumbs and bend it. The suspect was taken to the ground and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the suspect managed to get back to his feet and continued struggling with the officers. At that point, an officer used his Taser to take the suspect into custody. He was transported to jail and booked for assault, battery, resisting arrest and public intoxication. There were no injuries reported, police said. The suspect was identified as Dolan Cortes, 47, of Rancho Palos Verdes. His bail was set at $20,000.
Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2:38 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1200 block of Michigan Avenue regarding a report of a suspicious person. When officers arrived, they made contact with a man who they earlier observed to be intoxicated and yelling in the neighborhood, causing a disturbance. At that time, a friend of the man told officers that he would take care of the suspect by allowing him to sleep at his house until the alcohol wore off. At 3 a.m., officers went back to the location and detained the same suspect, who had just ran out from an alley behind Euclid Street. While detaining the suspect, an alleged victim came running from his backyard and said he had just fought with the suspect, who was inside his home. The victim said he did not know the suspect and did not give him permission to enter. The suspect dropped his identification inside the residence while fighting with the victim, police said. The suspect was placed under arrest for residential burglary, providing a false name to police and multiple warrants. He was identified as Leonard Coronel, 24, of Los Angeles. No bail was set.
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Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
