Car thief took the fast lane to Malibu
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At 2:10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, the Santa Monica police responded to the 2600 block of the beach parking lot regarding a vehicle that had just been stolen. While officers were taking the information about the stolen vehicle, an additional call was received regarding an assault with a deadly weapon which just occurred in the 2000 block of Ocean Avenue. According to the victim, the suspect in the stolen vehicle crossed the median and tried to strike the victim’s vehicle for an unknown reason. The victim was able to escape the collision and the suspect fled. At 2:25 p.m., the suspect was involved in a traffic collision on Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon Road, where the suspect rear-ended a vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The suspect was chased by a lifeguard and taken into custody. Stanislav Safonov, 24, transient, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon and auto theft. Bail was set at $30,000.
At 2:13 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23, Santa Monica police responded to the 1200 block of Third Street, the Apple store, regarding a theft suspect being detained by store employees. When officers arrived to the scene, the employee said suspect No. 1 walked into the location, removed some iPods and placed them in the bag, dropped the bag and walked away. Suspect No. 2 then entered and picked up the bag and left the store failing to pay for the items. Suspect No. 2 was apprehended. The loss was estimated to be $1325. Eduardo Calderon Torres, 25, of Panorama City, was booked for commercial burglary. Bail was set at $20,000. The outstanding suspect is described as a Middle Eastern male, age 35 to 40, about five feet eleven inches tall, with a slim build, wearing a green shirt and dark pants.
At 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23, Santa Monica police responded to the 1300 block of the Third Street Promenade, at the Abercrombie & Fitch store, regarding a suspect with a fraudulent check. When officers arrived to the scene, they spoke to the employee, who said the suspect purchased $1,244.99 worth of clothing and were attempting to pay with a fraudulent check, which the employee had checked with the bank. Lolisa Roeshene Fields, 29, of LA, and Eddie James Pugh, 26, of New Orleans, were arrested for commercial burglary and possession of a forged check. Fields bail set at 20,000. Pugh had no bail.
At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, the Santa Monica police responded to the 1300 block of Euclid regarding an assault with a deadly weapon investigation. When officers arrived to the scene, they spoke to the victim who said the suspect knocked on the door and when she opened it the suspect entered and produced a razor. The victim was able to grab a stick and strike the suspect several times in the head as he attempted to cut her. Two friends present came to the victim’s aid, at which time the suspect attempted to stab them with the razor. The victims were able to control the suspect until police arrived. Darryl James Young, 49, of Santa Monica, was placed under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $110,000.
At 5:25 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, the Santa Monica police responded to the 1000 block of 24th Street regarding two suspects in a vehicle. When officers arrived to the scene, they saw the two occupants in the vehicle and while they conducted their investigation, they found the driver was in possession of two small tubes of methamphetamine. Alex Tronik, 20, of Santa Monica, was placed under arrest for a controlled substance. The passenger, Marcos Caloca, 19, of Santa Monica, was arrested for interfering while officers were conducting an investigation. Bail was set for $10,000 each.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 7, 2005. Read the original PDF.