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, Aug. 1, at 2:26 a.m.,
A Santa Monica Police officer on routine patrol in the 1600 block of 20th Street was flagged down by a taxi driver who said he had just been robbed at gunpoint. The driver said he picked up two men in the 1700 block of Wilshire Boulevard. The men asked to be dropped off at the intersection of 20th Street and Olympic Boulevard. As they arrived at the location, the driver told officers one of the suspects pointed a gun at him and demanded money. The driver gave the suspect $40. The suspects fled the location on foot. The officer set up a perimeter and located one of the suspects and a handgun. The suspect was identified as Quentin Noel, 20, of Santa Monica. He was transported to the Santa Monica Jail where he was booked for robbery. His bail was set at $50,000. The second suspect was not located.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 10:27 a.m.,
Officers stopped two individuals riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in the 100 block of Colorado Avenue, a violation of the municipal code. During the stop, officers discovered one of the suspects was on parole. Officers conducted a parole search and said they found hashish in the suspect’s backpack. The suspect was placed under arrest for possession of concentrated cannabis. He was identified as George Parrish, 31, a transient. He was not eligible for bail.
Friday, July 31, at 2:50 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Sears — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they made contact with store security who said the suspect entered the store and removed two bottles of cologne and placed them in her bag. She then walked out of the store, failing to pay for the items. Once outside the store, security detained the suspect until police arrived. The suspect was identified as Araceli Lepe, 27, of Los Angeles. No bail was set.
Friday, July 31, at 12:28 p.m.,
Officers on routine patrol in the 1300 block of Pico Boulevard observed a fight taking place in the Chevron lot. Officers made contact with the two suspects and discovered they were fighting with the alleged victim over the use of a gas pump. It seems the two suspects confronted the victim over taking the pump the female suspect was going to use. The female suspect and her male companion allegedly struck the victim and kicked him. The victim then pulled the female suspect’s hair during the fight, police said. Officers took the two suspects into custody for battery. They were identified as Lily Kulpers, 18, and Daniel Galvan, 18; both were from Santa Monica. Bail was set at $20,000.
Thursday, July 30, at 8:27 a.m.,
Officers on routine patrol in the area of Lincoln and Ocean Park Boulevards were flagged down by citizens who said they saw a fight taking place. The reporting party pointed to a white convertible Mercedes and stated that the people involved in the fight were in the car driving away. Officers followed the vehicle and said they observed the driver reaching over the passenger seat to strike a young man seated in the rear of the car. The officers conducted a traffic stop and observed three people inside, a female driver, a male in the passenger’s seat and a young male in the back seat. All three appeared to be related, officers said. Officers determined that a domestic dispute was in progress and placed the driver under arrest for battery on a spouse and child endangerment. She was identified as Kumiko Wolfe, 46, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $25,000.
Wednesday, July 29, at 10:35 p.m.,
Officers responded to the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard regarding a dispute over a bicycle. When officers arrived, they made contact with the alleged victim who said he was struck in the head with an unknown object, cutting his ear, after he and the suspect got into an argument over the bicycle. The suspect wanted money for the bike. The victim said he did not have any money. Armed with a description of the suspect, officers were able to locate him a short distance away. He was placed under arrest for attempted robbery. He was identified as Joseph Ramirez, 25, of Santa Monica. He was not eligible for bail, police said.
Wednesday, July 29, at 2 p.m.,
Officers conducted a traffic stop in the 2000 block of 27th Street for a vehicle code violation. During the traffic stop, officers were able to determine that the driver was on probation and the passenger on parole. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and allegedly found drug paraphernalia and some methamphetamine. The passenger, Leonel Castillo, 30, of Santa Monica, was booked for possession of a controlled substance. He was not eligible for bail, police said.
Monday, July 27, at 8:10 p.m.,
An officer conducted a traffic stop in the 2100 block of Wilshire Boulevard regarding a vehicle code violation. When the officer approached the vehicle he could smell marijuana wafting from inside the vehicle. The driver said he had a prescription to smoke marijuana. Officers conducted several balance and coordination tests and concluded the driver was driving while intoxicated. The suspect, Henry Metcalf, 18, of Santa Monica, was transported to the Santa Monica Jail for booking. At the jail, officers discovered a white powder during the booking search that was later found to be Vicodin, police said. Metcalf was booked for possession of a controlled substance and DUI. His bail was set at $30,000.
Editor-in-Chief Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
