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.
Sunday, March 17, at 11:16 a.m.,
Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1400 block of Fifth Street regarding a suspicious person charging people to park in a surface lot. Sunday was the day of the Los Angeles Marathon when parking Downtown was a hot commodity. Officers were advised that a similar suspect was now at a parking lot near Lincoln Boulevard and Colorado Avenue. Officers were unable to locate anyone at the first location. Upon arriving at the second location, officers saw the suspect preparing the lot to charge people to park there. The suspect did not have a business permit, but said he had permission from the owner to charge drivers. He could not produce any paper work so officers placed him under arrest for operating without a valid business license and theft by false pretense. At the Santa Monica Jail officers said they found parking vouchers and cash in the suspect's pocket. He was identified as Joseph Frank Montanino, 46, of West Covina, Calif. His bail was set at $2,500.
Sunday, March 17, at 10:19 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1600 block of Euclid Street regarding a person trespassing. When officers arrived they were flagged down by a worker who said that when he entered the business he saw someone walking around inside. Officers searched the business and found the suspect, who was hiding behind a work table. He allegedly told officers, "I was just looking for a bathroom. I have diarrhea and the door was unlocked, so I came inside." Officers searched the suspect's backpack and found laptop computers and a black Xbox, which they believed were stolen. The suspect was booked for burglary. He was identified as Trevin Rogers, 37, a transient. His bail was set at $20,000.
