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, Feb. 3, at 12:02 p.m.,
Santa Monica police officers responded to the 600 block of Pico Boulevard — Santa Monica High School — after receiving a call from school security about a male suspect in custody for trespassing. When officers arrived they spoke with school security who said they saw the suspect, who is not a student at the school, on campus, possibly looking for his ex-girlfriend. The security officer said that it was the second day in a row that the suspect was on campus and asked for police to arrest him. Officers contacted the suspect’s ex-girlfriend (a minor) who said that her relationship with the suspect was over and she was afraid of him. Police said the girl told them that the suspect followed her from class to class and stole her cell phone before he was taken into custody. Police said the suspect tried to pass himself off as a juvenile. Officers were able to identify him as Sergio Antonio Curiel, 18, of Inglewood. He was placed under arrest for grand theft, stalking and providing false information to a police officer. His bail was set at $150,000.
Friday, Feb. 3, at 12:58 a.m.,
Officers on patrol in the 2000 block of Ocean Avenue conducted a traffic stop after seeing a man riding his bicycle without a forward facing light, a violation of the vehicle code. While speaking with the suspect, officers learned that he did not have any identification. He also admitted to having pot on him, police said. The suspect became agitated and would not sit still. Officers searched him and recovered a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamines. The suspect was placed under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia. While searching him, officers said they found some meth and another pipe. The suspect was eventually booked for possession of the pipes, the meth and pot, as well as for riding a bike without a light. He was identified as Clifford Carl Rogalio, 49, of Venice Calif.
Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10:29 p.m.,
Officers were on patrol when they saw three men loading a bicycle into the back of an SUV that was parked in the middle of an alley adjacent to Broadway and 10th Street. Concerned because of the number of bike thefts in the area, officers drove down to investigate. When they got closer, officers saw the men walk away from the SUV in various directions. Officers detained all three for questioning. Officers eventually released the driver of the SUV and focused on the two others, who admitted to drinking alcohol and urinating in the alley before officers arrived. As officers looked around the alley, they noticed a small baggy containing what they believed to be methamphetamine.
Officers released the suspects and set up surveillance, believing the suspects would return for the drugs. A short time later, the suspects returned to the alley and one of them picked up the baggy. As they walked away the officers pulled up and placed them under arrest. Back at the jail, officers searched the suspects and found the baggy hidden in one of the suspects’ socks. Both were booked. They were identified as Adolfo Cacaderiz Chavez, 41, and Jose Lopez, 31. Both were homeless at the time of their arrest, police said. Chavez was booked for drug possession, public intoxication and a probation violation. His bail was set at $10,000. Lopez was booked for public intoxication and two warrants. His bail was set at $25,500.
Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 11:23 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Wilshire Boulevard on the report of a man choking a small dog. When they arrived, the officers found out that animal control had already taken possession of the dog because the man in question did not have any identifying papers or license for the animal. It was later determined that the dog belonged to somebody else. The dog was eventually reunited with its rightful owner. Officers did not have anything substantial in regards to the animal cruelty allegations, but they did search the suspect and found some marijuana. The suspect tried to provide a false name so he was booked for possession of less than an ounce of pot and providing false information to a police officer. He also had a warrant, police said. The suspect was identified as Alexandre Som, 37, a transient. His bail was set at $5,756.
Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 4:45 p.m.,
Officers responded to Lot 1 North located on Pacific Coast Highway on a report of a burglary that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they contacted a witness who is a security guard for Cirque du Soleil who said he saw the suspect violently trying to open a refrigerator containing beer. He already had food from a nearby concessions stand in his hand. The guard detained the suspect without incident and he was placed under arrest for burglary. He was identified as Tyler Craig Larson, 31, a transient.
Monday, Jan. 30, at 4:06 p.m.,
Police responded to the 1500 block of Montana Avenue regarding a theft that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they made contact with the owner of M’attias boutique who told officers she saw a woman steal a dress from her store. She said the suspect was walking down Montana Avenue. Officers followed and eventually caught up with the suspect and detained her. During their investigation, officers said they found several items from various stores on Montana Avenue, including the dress from M’attias. Although no employees at the various stores on Montana said they saw the suspect steal anything, they did confirm that she had visited their stores and left without making any purchases. Based on that, police placed the suspect under arrest for receiving stolen property. She was identified as Gisela Kunstler, 62, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $25,000.
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