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, Jan. 6, at 11:07 a.m.,
Santa Monica police officers responded to the 2600 block of Lincoln Boulevard — Albertsons — regarding a report of two suspected shoplifters in custody. When officers arrived, they made contact with store security who said they watched as the suspects entered the store and began to place cans of Enfamil baby formula in their purses. The two women then emptied their purses, possibly because they saw they were being watched by security, and tried to leave the store. Both were detained and later admitted they entered the store with the intent to steal, police said. The recovered loss was estimated at $274. The suspects were placed under arrest and booked for burglary. They were identified as Leticia Cortez, 19, of Los Angeles; and Priscilla Gonzalez, 19, of Venice. Bail was set at $20,000.
Sunday, Jan. 8, at 7:28 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 1400 block of 11th Street regarding a report of someone going door to door fiddling with door knobs. When officers arrived, they saw someone at the back of an apartment building who appeared to be peering over a wall in an attempt to hide. As officers approached, the suspect stood up and appeared as if he was going to run away, police said. After several commands, the suspect complied with officers and sat down. The suspect said he did not know anyone in the building and had no reason for being there, police said. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for prowling and a probation violation. He was identified as Edgar Hernandez, 41, a transient. His bail was set at $10,000.
Friday, Jan. 6, at 10:14 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 2800 block of Exposition Boulevard regarding a report of unknown trouble. When officers arrived, they made contact with a witness who was out in front of the location crying. The woman told officers that she was at a bar in Venice earlier in the evening where she met a man whom she later drove home because he was too drunk to drive. While at the man’s doorstep, he allegedly started to act erratically and overturned some of his own furniture. The woman said she called police so they could check up on him. Officers made contact with the man, who appeared to be heavily intoxicated. He invited officers into his apartment to talk, at which time police said they saw what they recognized to be powder cocaine on top of the dining room table in plain sight. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for possession of a controlled substance. He was identified as Luis Octavio Olmos, 28, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $10,000.
Saturday, Jan. 7, at 6:37 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Bloomingdale’s — regarding a report of fraud. As officers arrived on scene, store security told them that the two suspects fled the store. Officers detained one suspect in the 200 block of Colorado Avenue without incident. The second suspect was not located. Police said the suspects entered the department store and tried to purchase $8,000 worth of gift cards using a fraudulent credit card and New York identification. When the sales associate walked into a back room, the suspects fled and split up. Officers placed the one suspect under arrest for burglary, false pretenses, a probation violation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. No bail was set. The suspect was identified as Peter Khamis Issi, 49, of San Bernardino, Calif.
Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 1:25 a.m.,
Officers responded to the 900 block of Sixth Street after receiving a report of an attempted burglary that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they contacted a woman who said she and her boyfriend were in her apartment when her bedroom window suddenly opened from the outside. Both looked up and saw a hand come through the window and pull the curtains back. The woman said that the suspect then spoke to her, at which time she realized it was her ex-boyfriend. He allegedly tried to break into the apartment before. Officers examined the window and found that the screen had been removed and was on the ground. Additional officers searched the area and found the suspect driving eastbound on Interstate 10. A traffic stop was conducted in the 1800 block of 20th Street and the suspect was arrested without further incident. Based on the investigation, the suspect was booked for burglary. He was identified as Robert McDonnel, 27, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $50,000.
Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 11:30 a.m.,
Officers made contact with a man who was in possession of a shopping cart that did not belong to him. Officers said they had warned the suspect previously about the law against possessing a shopping cart, so they placed him under arrest for misappropriation of lost or stolen property. He was identified as Chacon Molinar, 59, a transient. His bail was set at $500.
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Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
