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.
Saturday, June 25, at 9:41 a.m.,
Santa Monica police officers located a suspect in the 1400 block of the Third Street Promenade who was wanted in connection with an assault with a deadly weapon. Police said the suspect tried to stab a fellow homeless man in the stomach on May 8. The two were involved in an argument over who was allowed to panhandle in a certain area. The suspect allegedly had issues with the victim asking for money at the same location he was. Officers placed the suspect under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. He was identified as Kurt Edward Johnson, 50, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $20,000.
Saturday, June 25, at 9:38 p.m.,
Officers were on routine patrol in the area of Pico Boulevard and 20th Street when they saw a gray GMC Safari van in the intersection that had failed to proceed through multiple green lights in violation of the vehicle code. Officers conducted a traffic stop. Upon contacting the driver, the officers said they could smell marijuana. Officers removed four men from the van and brought in a drug-sniffing dog to search the van. Officers said they recovered pot, some Oxycodone and various drug paraphernalia. All four suspects were interviewed and two were determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance. Both were also found to be in possession of narcotics and were arrested. The other two men were released. The suspects booked for possession and being under the influence were identified as Ari Levin, 24, and Max Rosenblum, 21; both from Santa Monica. Levin’s bail was set at $10,000 while Rosenblum’s was set at $2,500.
Sunday, June 26, at 6:56 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 1600 block of Ocean Front Walk regarding a report of a robbery that just occurred in the 300 block of Ocean Front Walk. When officers arrived, they made contact with the victim who told them that he was approached by the suspect as he was walking and counting money. The suspect asked him if he wanted to buy some weed and when the victim said no, the suspect allegedly grabbed the money from his hands. The suspect allegedly told the victim that he was armed with a gun and would shot him if he made any moves. The suspect then walked away northbound on Ocean Front Walk toward the Santa Monica Pier. Armed with a description of the suspect, officers detained a man in the 1500 block of Palisades Park. He was positively identified by the victim and placed under arrest for robbery. The victim’s money was recovered, police said. The suspect was identified as Mack Hemingway, 60, of Hawthorne. His bail was set at $50,000. No weapon was found.
Saturday, June 25, at 7:30 a.m.,
Officers patrolling Parking Structure 8, located on the 1500 block of Second Street, saw two people who appeared to be loitering on the rooftop. Officers approached the suspects and determined they were under the influence of a controlled substance. Both were detained and officers searched a backpack and found several tabs of Ecstasy. Both suspects were booked for possession of a controlled substance and being under the influence. They were identified as Nicholas Greco, 19, and Deidra Wellman, 20; both from West Leona Valley, Calif. Bail was set at $10,000.
Saturday, June 25, at 8:32 p.m.,
Officers were on routine patrol on the 1200 block of Lincoln Boulevard when they saw a man riding his bike without a light at night. Officers stopped the suspect and recognized him from a prior drug bust. Officers searched the suspect, who was on probation, and said they found a hypodermic needle containing a cloudy fluid. A drug identification test revealed the substance to be an opiate. Officers also said they found burglary tools. The suspect was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance and burglary tools, for riding a bike without a light and for violating the terms of his probation. The suspect was identified as Balbinder Sihota, 52, a transient. No bail was set.
Wednesday, June 22, at 10:02 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 700 block of Broadway — Vons — regarding a shoplifter in custody. When officers arrived, they made contact with store security who said the suspect entered the store and grabbed a bottle of Bacardi rum and tried to conceal it inside a reusable bag he was carrying. The suspect allegedly walked out of the store, failing to pay for the booze. He was confronted outside the store by security and detained until police arrived. Officers took the suspect into custody and he was booked for burglary and a probation violation. He was identified as Quayshaun Beauford, 19, of Kittanning, Pa. His bail was set at $20,000.
Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m.,
Officers responded to the area of 20th Street and Pico Boulevard regarding a report of an assault that just occurred. When officers arrived, they found a man lying face down near a bus stop. The man was unconscious and bleeding profusely from the head and face. Several witnesses told officers that a man struck the victim, who was panhandling in the area, in the head and then rode off on a beach cruiser north on 20th Street. Officers searched the area and located a possible suspect in Virginia Avenue Park. He was positively identified by witnesses and placed under arrest for battery with serious bodily injury and a parole violation. No bail was set. The suspect was identified as Albert J. Duran, 39, of Santa Monica. The victim was transported to a local hospital in extremely critical condition.
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Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports..
