On May 20, at about 3:25 a.m.
On Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers were dispatched to a business in the 1600 block of 19th Street regarding a Burglary in progress. The reporting party, an employee of the business, told police dispatch that he could hear someone on the roof. He also mentioned that the business was burglarized the night before. When officers arrived on scene, they observed an individual on the rooftop carrying a stolen item. Upon seeing the officers, the male quickly retreated out of sight. The male suspect, later identified as Christopher Reid Murphy, a 27-year-old homeless male, was given several commands however refused to comply. A perimeter was quickly established and with the assistance of a Police K9 and the Santa Monica Police Department’s drone, also known as Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Teams, Murphy was located hiding inside a storage room. Murphy was taken into custody and booked for burglary and resist, delay, obstruct arrest. Murphy is also on formal probation for burglary. Anyone with additional information pertaining to this incident or individual is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigations Division 310-458-8451 or Santa Monica Department Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.
