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.
Friday, Aug. 17 at 11:10 a.m.,
Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1300 block of Ocean Front Walk regarding a report of a lifeguard who had just been assaulted. When officers arrived, they made contact with two lifeguards who had a man in handcuffs. The lifeguards told officers that the man pushed one of them in the chest after they tried to disassemble the man's tent. It is illegal to set up a tent on the beach. The lifeguards said they had repeatedly asked the suspect and a friend of his to take down the tent, but they refused. The lifeguard who was pushed said he wanted the man arrested. Officers took the suspect into custody for assault and battery. He was identified as Jacob Patrick Klier, 32, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $20,000.
Saturday, Aug. 18 at 9:38 p.m.,
Officers were on patrol on the 2900 block of Lincoln Boulevard when they saw a man riding his bike on the sidewalk in violation of the municipal code. Officers stopped the man for the violation at Lincoln Boulevard and Pier Avenue. The man was found to be on probation and officers searched him. Affixed to the bicycle's handlebars was a small plastic container filled with hash, police said. The suspect was placed under arrest for possession of concentrated cannabis and for the probation violation. He was identified as Kim Joseph Leblanc, 41, of Venice, Calif. No bail was set.
Saturday, Aug. 18 at 11:07 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 1400 block of Fourth Street — The Dance Doctor — regarding a report of a forgery. When officers arrived, they met with the owner who told them that one of his employees stole some checks from him and cashed one of them. The owner went on to say that he received a phone call from the employee's girlfriend, who asked about a bunch of checks she had allegedly found in her boyfriend's backpack. Officers tracked down the check, which had been cashed at the nearby Santa Monica Tobacco. Based on that information, officers waited until the employee showed up for work and placed him under arrest for forgery. He was also caught with two bottles containing marijuana, police said. The suspect was identified as Jason Szymarek, 31, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $20,000.
Friday, Aug. 17 at 8:46 p.m.,
Officers were on patrol on the 2000 block of Colorado Avenue when they saw a man riding a bike without the required headlight. Officers stopped the cyclist a few blocks down to talk with him about the violation. While conversating, officers found out the man was on parole and searched him. Officers said they found rock cocaine. They placed the suspect under arrest for possession of a controlled substance and parole/probation violations. No bail was set. The suspect was identified as Herbert Dunn, 42, of Los Angeles.
Thursday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.,
Officers on patrol along the 2400 block of Beverly Avenue saw a woman on a skateboard that they knew from a prior arrest for theft. The officers pulled alongside her and asked if they could have a moment of her time to ask her some questions. Officers noticed that she was carrying two bags and asked her if they could search them. She allegedly said "absolutely." Officers looked in the bags and said they found six cell phones, an external hard drive and some clothes with tags from local stores still attached. Officers also found mail belonging to other Santa Monica residents and a California driver's license, credit card, DMV registration card and other forms of identification that did not belong to the suspect. When questioned about the items, the woman told officers she had found them. A computer check confirmed that the suspect had an outstanding warrant for petty theft. She was placed under arrest for possession of stolen property and identity theft. She was identified as Natalie Marie Westerman, 22, of Venice, Calif. Her bail was set at $27,500.
Friday, Aug. 10 at 12:32 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 2200 block of Main Street after getting a call about a car that had been broken into. When officers arrived, they made contact with a friend of the guy who owned the car who told them that the whole incident was caught on tape. The suspect was nowhere in sight, so officers took a report and left. A few days later, the car owner went to a nearby store to get a copy of security camera footage of the theft and while there said he saw the suspect walk by. He and a witness chased down the suspect and detained him until police arrived. Officers viewed the footage and placed the suspect under arrest for burglary and a probation violation. He was identified as Allen Parks, 47, of Los Angeles. No bail was set.
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Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
