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.
Saturday, May 19, at 3:20 p.m.,
Santa Monica police officers received a radio call regarding a road rage incident at 20th Street and Pico Boulevard. The caller told dispatch that she and her friends were being followed by another vehicle. They made contact with officers on the 3400 block of Pico. All three females in the car were crying and emotionally distressed. They told officers that they stopped at a gas station near Imperial Highway and Sepulveda Boulevard to put air in one of their tires. A silver SUV pulled up with five men inside. They at first offered to help with the tire, but soon began flirting with the women. One of the women was drunk and began to dance with some of the men from the SUV, police said. The driver was able to get her friend back into the car and they drove away toward Santa Monica. When they got to the city, they pulled over again to check the tire. That’s when the SUV pulled up and one of the men inside got out and began aggressively hitting on the women. They ignored his advances. He allegedly became agitated and struck the female driver in the face, injuring her bottom lip. The ladies jumped back into their car and drove off. The SUV began chasing them. At one point, the SUV allegedly rammed the right side of the victim’s car in an attempt to force them to stop. Officers responding were able to find the SUV at 33rd and Pearl streets. They conducted a traffic stop. Two of the women were able to positively identify the suspects and two were placed under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and assault and battery. They were identified as Roderick Earl Honeycutt, 25, of Hawthorne, Calif.; and William Louis Martin, 27, of Los Angeles. Bail for Honeycutt was set at $20,000; $30,000 for Martin.
Wednesday, May 16, at 7:35 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1200 block of Second Street — Parking Structure 2 — to assist Downtown service officers who had detained a man who was allegedly loitering in the structure. When officers arrived, they made contact with the man, who was sitting on the ground. They asked him to stand up, and when he did a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine allegedly fell to the ground and shattered. Police searched the suspect for more contraband, but none was found. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was identified as Shano Schmidt, 39, of Seal Beach, Calif. His bail was set at $250.
Wednesday, May 16, at 7:11 a.m.,
Officers responded to a residence on the 1800 block of 21st Street regarding a report of an assault. When officers arrived, they made contact with the alleged victim, who met the officers outside and told them that he rents a room at the residence and had been involved in a heated argument with the landlord over his rent being one week late. During the argument, the owner’s dog bit the victim twice on the leg. The victim took out a pocket knife to defend himself, police said, and a second roommate immediately attacked him, striking him with a cane and a garden hoe. The roommate chased the victim out into the alley where he threatened to kill him, police said. The victim called police and waited for their arrival. Officers detained all those involved. During the investigation, officers determined that the dog bite was not part of the assault as the animal reacted because of the argument, not because the owner ordered it to bite. The second roommate was placed under arrest and transported to the Santa Monica Jail. During a booking search, police said they found cocaine on the suspect. He was booked for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance. He was identified as Isiah Gunn, 24, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $30,675.
Wednesday, May 16, at 7:55 p.m.,
Officers on routine patrol near 20th Street and Pico Boulevard were flagged down by someone regarding a fight at Eddie’s Liquor. Officers drove to the location, at which point they saw the store owner pointing toward a man who was walking across the store’s parking lot. The owner said the man had just stolen a beer. Officers detained the man and found one can of beer inside his pants pocket. The store owner told police that he saw the suspect put the beer in his pants and walk out of the store without paying. As he tried to phone police, he said the suspect turned around and tried to punch him in the face, but missed. Officers arrested the suspect for robbery. He was identified as Gregory Audette, 43, a transient. His bail was set at $50,000.
Thursday, May 17, at 10:21 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 700 block of Broadway — Vons — regarding a report of a strong-arm robbery that just occurred. When officers arrived, they made contact with a man who said he had just purchased a 12 pack of Steel Reserve 211 malt liquor and some orange juice when he was approached by three men in the parking lot. One of the men walked behind him and snatched his grocery bag and ran. The victim gave chase and got his groceries back, but then the two friends of the main suspect jumped in and slapped the grocery bag out of the victim’s hands, causing the bag to tear open and the contents to fall onto the ground. The victim ran back to the grocery store and told security to call police. About 20 minutes later officers transported the victim to the 1600 block of Seventh Street where he positively identified the suspects. All three were arrested for robbery. They were identified as Daniel Andrew Delay, 21, of Compton, Calif.; Christopher Michael Rowe, 29, of Panama City, Fla.; and Bryan Wesley Batchelor, 32, a transient. Bail was set at $50,000.
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Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
