On September 10, at approximately 10:40 p.m.
Officers responded to a call of a suspicious fire at the BMW dealership, 1127 Santa Monica Boulevard. Responding police and fire personnel found several vehicles engulfed in flames and could smell a strong odor of gasoline. Witnesses in the area told officers they saw a suspect douse the vehicles with liquid from a red plastic gas can and then set them on fire. They described the suspect to officers and told them he was last seen running southbound in the 1400 block of 12th Street and out of sight. Officers later located a possible suspect who was positively identified by witnesses and transported to the Santa Monica Jail. It was later determined by the investigating detective that the arrestee was not responsible for the arson and he was released. The incident is currently under investigation.
On September 10, at approximately 8:15 a.m.
Officers responded to the Ocean Park Community Center, 1751 Cloverfield Boulevard, regarding a report of threats made against an employee by a former client. The client, who uses the Center as his mailing address, became upset when he was asked to leave the facility because of prior abusive behavior toward staff. The suspect approached the victim, who he believed was responsible for his removal from the facility, and made several threats to the victim's safety. The suspect also challenged the victim to fight. Officers located the suspect the following day at an abandoned warehouse in the City, his usual camping spot. The suspect was arrested for making criminal threats as well as several warrants. James Andrew Yates, 50, transient, had bail set at $53,250.
On September 14, at approximately 7:26 p.m.
Patrol officers observed the suspect vehicle blocking a crosswalk. As the vehicle started driving toward the patrol car the officers could see the suspect inside talking on her cell phone. The driver came alongside the officers, pulled her phone from her ear, and asked the officers for directions. The officers instructed the driver to turn into the parking lot at 630 Wilshire Boulevard so that they could assist her. As the officers approached the vehicle to speak with the driver they noticed several symptoms of alcohol intoxication, including red and watery eyes and a distinct odor of alcoholic beverages. The suspect admitted to having a few beers in the hours prior to the stop. After giving the suspect the standardized field sobriety tests, she was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and transported to the Santa Monica Jail for a breath test. She was booked for DUI and driving with a blood alcohol content in excess of 0.08%. Alona Iglesias, 36, transient, had bail set at $5,000.
On September 13, at approximately 8:57 a.m.
Officers received a call of a fight that just occurred in the Albertson's parking lot, 2627 Lincoln Boulevard. The victim of the incident told officers that he had been standing outside the Subway eating a donut when the suspect approached him and tried to punch the victim in the stomach. When the victim tried to shield himself from the blow, the suspect punched the victim several times in the head. The victim and suspect fell to the ground, with the suspect on top of the victim choking him. Before the victim lost consciousness, a security guard from the Albertson's intervened and was able to separate the two. The victim last saw the suspect walking westbound through the parking lot to Lincoln Boulevard. Another officer in the area detained a man matching the suspect's description in the area of Lincoln Boulevard and Pier Ave. The victim was able to positively identify the man as the instigator of the fight. The suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and transported to the Santa Monica Jail. Robert Edward Westbrook, 44, transient, had bail set at $34,500.
On September 13, at approximately 4:29 p.m.,
A patrol officer in the 1500 block of Palisades Park was flagged down by a passerby who pointed out a suspect from an assault that occurred earlier in the day. The officer contacted the suspect who immediately lay down on the ground and put his hands behind his back. When the officer asked the suspect for his name, the man became increasingly agitated. A wants and warrants check showed the suspect is currently on probation and had violated several registration requirements. The victim of the earlier assault incident was contacted and declined prosecution or a report. The suspect was arrested for the probation violations and transported to the Santa Monica Jail for booking.
Matt Wesley Sturm, 51, transient, had bail set at $20,000.
On September 12, at about 4:50 a.m.,
Officers working as part of the homeless detail contacted a male subject as part of a periodic check of the beach parking lots. The suspect was sleeping against the wall of a closed restaurant. He was surrounded by personal belongings, indicating that he was camping overnight in violation of the Santa Monica Municipal Code. The suspect lied to the officers when they asked for his name and other information for a citation. A computerized criminal history check revealed the suspect, whose true name had been established when the officers searched his backpack for ID, was wanted for a parole violation. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Santa Monica Jail for booking. He was later taken to County Jail to be released to parole officers. David Lee Ferrell, 49, transient was held without bail.
On September 12, at approximately 1:25 p.m.
Officers working undercover in plain clothes on a burglary suppression detail near the intersection of 23rd Street and California Ave noticed a dark colored Ford Explorer slowly drive north in the 1100 block of 23rd and park along the east curb. After a few minutes, a male suspect approached the driver side front window, which had been rolled down, and have a brief conversation with the driver, a female. As officers watched, the male started walking along the street side of cars parked on 23rd Street, bumping the vehicles with his hip. The officers knew from their training and experience that this tactic is often used by auto burglars to test a vehicle's alarm and see if it would activate. The Explorer slowly followed the male suspect as he moved northbound past the officers. They continued monitoring the suspect as he peered into several vehicles, and then entered the passenger seat of the Explorer. The officers stopped the vehicle nearby and arrested the male suspect, a probationer, for vehicle tampering and a probation violation.
Luis Beltran, 48, of Fontana had bail set at $10,000.
On September 12, at approximately 2:26 p.m.
Officers responded to Tongva Park regarding a male suspect who had confronted a City of Santa Monica grounds keeper, yelling obscenities at the worker and challenging him to fight. A Public Services Officer who was already on scene attempted to protect the worker by getting in between him and the suspect. As responding officers approached, they saw the suspect ball his hands into fists and approach the PSO in an aggressive manner. The PSO attempted to back away and told the suspect to stop his approach. Believing he was about to be attacked, the PSO sprayed the suspect with pepper spray, effectively ending the assault. The suspect, who was showing signs of alcohol intoxication, was treated at the scene by SMFD paramedics and then transported to the Santa Monica Jail. The suspect was booked for disturbing the peace, public intoxication, and two outstanding warrants.
Shea Jaitam Voeller, 30, transient, had bail set at $100,500.
