On June 25 at 11:30 a.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1800 block of Wilshire Boulevard to investigate a report of a battery.
Upon arrival, officers met with a woman and her 8-year-old son who were standing at the corner of 18th Street and Wilshire. Officers noticed that the woman was shaking and crying hysterically.
Officers made contact with her and learned she was out walking with her son and their dog when an unknown man walked up to them. The male suspect began cursing at the woman and her son before grabbing the woman's purse, which was on her left shoulder. The suspect yelled, “Give me that!” as he grabbed the purse by the strap and tried to pull it off the woman's shoulder.
The woman was able to pull the purse away from the male suspect, at which point the suspect grabbed her son by his left hand. The woman began swinging wildly at the suspect and pulled her son away from the suspect's grasp.
The woman and her son were with their 20-pound Tibetan spaniel mix dog, which began to bark loudly when the suspect grabbed the purse. The suspect then kicked the dog once, causing it to go approximately 3 feet in the air. The suspect then walked east on Wilshire away from the scene.
Officers were able to locate the suspect about two blocks away from where the incident occurred. Officers detained the suspect until he was positively identified.
Jerome Benjamin, 26, homeless, was arrested for robbery, kidnapping and animal cruelty. Bail was set at $100,000.
Note: Crime Watch is 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.
