<i>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. </i>
Monday, June 29, at 7:50 p.m.,
Santa Monica police officers responded to the 3000 block of Pico Boulevard regarding a report of a person masturbating in his vehicle. When officers arrived on scene they observed a vehicle driving away that matched the description of the suspect’s car. Officers conducted a traffic stop. During their contact with the driver, officers were able to determine that he was in possession of a controlled substance. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for possession. He was identified as Michael Williams, 31, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $10,000.
Monday, June 29, at 11:54 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 1500 block of Fourth Street to assist security officers who were trying to detain a driver that was possible driving under the influence. During the DUI investigation, officers found a replica handgun, a Billy club, gloves and ski mask. All three suspects in the vehicle were placed under arrest for probable cause burglary. The replica handgun found was determined to be a BB gun, police said. The suspects were identified as Nicholas Garcia, 18, Anthony Isome, 20, and Troy Jenkins, 18; all of Los Angeles. An additional charge of possession of an unlawful weapon was added to Garcia and Isome.
Monday, June 29, at 7:23 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 1200 block of Seventh Street regarding a burglary in progress. When officers arrived, they made contact with the reporting party who said the suspect jumped into a business through a second story window. Officers located the suspect inside of the business. The suspect allegedly tried to flee and climbed to the roof and hid. Officers located the suspect again and placed him under arrest for burglary and delaying arrest. He was identified as Kenneth Keating, 49, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $20,000.
Wednesday, July 1, at 11:25 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1300 block of Wilshire Boulevard — Vons — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they found the suspect on the ground and store security physically restraining him. Security told officers that the suspect entered the store, placed alcohol in his waistband and left the store without paying. When store security confronted the suspect, he allegedly pushed them away and attempted to flee. Store security were able to place the suspect on the ground until police arrived. The items in question were recovered. They included two bottles of Jack Daniels and Jose Cuervo valued at $51.98. The suspect, Michael Bazz, 40, a transient, was transported to the Santa Monica Jail and booked for strong arm robbery. His bail was set at $50,000.
Thursday, July 2, at 6 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Pico Boulevard regarding a man drinking a beer in the rear of a business. The reporting party, who happened to be the business owner, told officers the suspect had vandalized his business earlier by etching on the front windows. Officers located the suspect and placed him under arrest for violation of parole, public intoxication and vandalism. He was identified as Rocco Ochinero, 59, a transient. He was not eligible for bail, police said.
Friday, July 3, at 6:11 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 1200 block of the Third Street Promenade — Sephora — regarding theft suspects in custody. When officers arrived, they made contact with store security who said that four suspects came into the store and appeared to be working together to remove items from the shelf and place them in bags. As two of the suspects were leaving with the bags, security confronted them. The other two suspects left the store and observed security from outside. Officers placed the two suspects who were stopped by security under arrest for burglary after security found several bottles of cologne and/or perfume in their bags. The suspects were identified as Patricia Alvarez, 41, of Antioch and Margarita Barreto, 42, of San Francisco. Barreto was booked for burglary, but due to a medical condition Alvarez was not booked at that time. Barreto’s bail was set at $20,000.
Sunday, July 5, at 11:30 a.m.,
An officer was driving in the 2100 block of Dewey Street when he saw a suspicious person in an alley looking into a house that was under construction. As the officer passed the suspect, he started running. The officer followed the suspect, who jumped into a nearby vehicle containing two others. Further investigation led the officer to believe that the suspect had been on the property under construction. During a search of the vehicle officers located materials used to commit burglaries. All three suspects were placed under arrest for probable cause burglary. They were identified as Estevan Rivera, 23, Yair Martinez, 22, and Jeime Polino, 23; all from Thousand Oaks. Rivera was also booked for driving without a license. Bail was set at $20,000.
Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
