On August 13, 2024, investigators served a search warrant at a Santa Monica residence and evidence connecting 51-year-old Richard Martin to a series of vandalism incidents was collected at the location; Martin was arrested and has been charged by the District Attorney with Felony Vandalism.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, on June 5, 2024, officers responded to a multiunit residential complex in the 2100 block of Ocean Park Blvd regarding a vandalism incident. The owner of the buildings noticed the wires to his sprinkler system control box had been cut.
When he checked the recordings from his external cameras, the building owner discovered that on May 31, at about 8pm, a male suspect tampered with the sprinkler box, jumped over the gate from the building into the alley, opened the city water meter box, and cut the wires inside. The suspect then walked east in the alley south of Ocean Park Boulevard.
The officers canvassed the alley and located a total of seven city-owned water meters had been vandalized in addition to the building owner’s property. In mid-July, the City of Santa Monica Water Resources administrator reported that a total of 304 water meters had their wires cut over the span of several weeks and required replacement. Most of the damaged meters were in an area bordered by 14th Street to 25th Street and from the I-10 Freeway to Ashland Ave.
There was an additional cluster of damaged meters on the east end of the city between Ocean Park Boulevard and Pico Boulevard. The total cost of the damage to the city owned meters was calculated at approximately $45,000. Additional surveillance footage of the subject was also obtained.
Martin has prior criminal convictions for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Felony Elder Abuse and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Anyone with information about this incident or individual is asked to contact Detective
Hernandez or the Watch Commander desk 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
