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.
Tuesday, July 17, at 8:18 a.m.,
A Santa Monica police officer and a jail manager walked into the Coffee Bean at 3150 Ocean Park Blvd. when employees pointed to a man standing outside the store and told the officer that he had just stolen the coffee house's employee tip jar. The officer and jail manager confronted the men, who handed the tip jar back to the store manager. The suspect allegedly tried to avoid arrest, but was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was transported to the Santa Monica Jail. During a background check, police learned that the suspect had several prior convictions for petty theft and robbery and was on parole. The suspect was booked for petty theft with a prior and the parole violation. He was identified as Dontee Lawrence Cason, 29, a transient. No bail was set.
Wednesday, July 18, at 9:16 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 700 block of Taft Way regarding a report of an auto burglary that had occurred. When officers arrived, they made contact with the alleged victim who said that she was visiting Marco Polo Imports on Colorado Avenue and had parked her car in the back. While inside the shop, she heard a vehicle alarm go off. She went to check and saw a man walking away from the woman's car carrying a piece of cinder block. Next to the car was another piece of the block, police said. The woman looked into her car and noticed that some of her property was missing. She called police and officers detained the suspect in front of Denny's on Lincoln Boulevard and Colorado Avenue and he was positively identified by the victim. The victim's property was recovered and the suspect was booked for burglary and a probation violation. He was identified as Patrick B. Gallagher, 48, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $20,000.
Thursday, July 19, at 10:20 a.m.,
Officers responded to a home on the 800 block of Ashland Avenue regarding a report of a man beating another man with a metal bar. When officers arrived, they found the victim outside an apartment complex with multiple injuries. Paramedics were called. While waiting for them to arrive, the man told officers that he lived with his father in the apartment complex. The two were arguing when the father allegedly grabbed the metal bar and chased the son out of the apartment. While running, the son said he fell and his father hit him several times on the back and the butt. The victim was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries. The suspect was arrested inside the apartment and booked for assault with a deadly weapon. He was identified as Frederico Sanchez Campos, 56, of Santa Monica. Bail was set at $30,000.
Friday, July 20, at 9:20 p.m.,
Officers responded to an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Cloverfield Boulevard regarding a report of someone possibly selling drugs at the rear of the complex. When officers arrived, they began questioning residents and locked onto one in particular who allegedly let officers into her apartment where they said they saw cocaine in plain sight. The woman denied knowing anything about the drugs. She was arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance. She was identified as Arlene Susan Resa, 54, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $10,000.
Saturday, July 21, at 12:25 a.m.,
Officers were patrolling on the east end of the city when they saw a green GMC Sierra traveling east on Broadway that appeared to be weaving in and out of the bicycle lane. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the 1500 block of Centinela Avenue, believing that the driver was under the influence. Officers spoke with the driver, who told them that he did not have a license. Officers searched him and said they found methamphetamine in his pants pocket. A passenger was also searched. Officers said they found two bindles of cocaine inside his backpack. Both suspects were placed under arrest and booked for possession of a controlled substance. The suspects were identified as Toni Sanchez Gomez, 23, and Jesus Lopez, 25; both from Los Angeles. Bail was set at $10,000 each.
news@www.smdp.com
Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
