On April 15, at approximately 3 a.m., Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Patrol Officers responded to a report of catalytic converter theft in the 1500 block of Harvard. The Reporting Party (RP) indicated that he was awoken by the sounds of power tools and grinding. The RP believed he witnessed a group of individuals steal a catalytic converter and were now leaving in a gray Tahoe SUV.
SMPD Officers located the suspect vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and contacted the four occupants. During the course of their investigation, SMPD officers located numerous power saws, a vehicle jack, two-way radios, masks, and other miscellaneous tools. Officers recovered the stolen catalytic converter hidden in between two vehicles. The Tahoe SUV was towed, all the burglary tools were booked into evidence, and the four suspects were arrested then transported to the Santa Monica Police Jail. They were booked on the following charges:
- • Jesus Guerrero 33-year-old male from Pacoima - Grand Theft, Conspiracy and Driving with a Suspended License.
- • Alexandra Garcia 27-year-old female from San Fernando – Grand Theft and Conspiracy
- • Jesse Gonzalez 36-year-old male from San Fernando - Grand Theft, Conspiracy and Possession of Opiates
- • Samantha Loaiza 29-year-old from San Fernando – Grand Theft, Conspiracy and Providing False ID to Police
Anyone with any additional information pertaining to this incident is strongly encouraged to contact the Detective Bureau at 310-458-8451 or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8426.
Submitted by Lt. Rudy Flores