On July 8 at about 5 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the Sears department store at 302 Colorado Ave., for a theft suspect being detained by store security personnel.
Sears security told the officers they watched via surveillance camera as the suspect entered the store while carrying a brown Starbucks paper bag.
The suspect walked over to a display of watches and selected two different models and placed them into the Starbucks bag. The suspect then walked past several staffed cash registers and exited the store.
Sears security confronted the man outside, escorted him back into the store and notified SMPD. Both watches were recovered and had a total value of $60.
Officers accepted the arrest from Sears security for shoplifting. David Rey Vasquez, 24, of Los Angeles, was issued a citation with a promise to appear in court at a later date.
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.
