By By Daily Press Staff
Crime Watch is a weekly snapshot of the Santa Monica Police Department, culled from their own reports. The following are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Purse snatching foiled by good Samaritan BY DAILY PRESS STAFF TUESDAY, MARCH 6 AT 7:20 A.M. Officers responded to the 3000 block of Second Street regarding an attempted purse snatching. When officers arrived, they spoke with a woman who said she was walking down the street with her purse over her shoulder when another woman approached rapidly and tried to take the purse. The two struggled, during which time the suspect grabbed the victim’s hair, police said. The victim screamed and a good Samaritan walking across the street intervened. The suspect ran off and police were called. Officers on patrol spotted the suspected purse snatcher a few blocks away. She was taken into custody and booked for attempted robbery. She was identified as Tracinal Shanie Franklin, 28, a transient. Her bail was set at $50,000.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8 AT 7:30 P.M. Police responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Macy’s — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they spoke with store security guards who said a woman walked into the store and grabbed bags with the Macy’s logo and walked over to the lingerie section. The woman began placing items into the bags and took others with her into a dressing room, police said. The woman then walked out of the dressing room, past the cash registers and out the door, where she was detained by security. Inside the bags, security found a pair of jeans and other clothing totalling $160, police said. The woman was arrested for theft. She was identified as Emily Sarah Jacobson, 43, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $10,000.
FRIDAY, MARCH 9 AT 11:30 A.M. Police on routine patrol in the 1700 block of Georgina Avenue spotted two men sitting in a parked vehicle with no front license plate. Suspicious, officers approached the two men and asked them for identification. The driver could not produce any ID nor a driver’s license, police said. Concerned about a string of burglaries in the area, officers conducted a consensual search of the car and found a safe in the trunk that contained a small scale commonly used to measure drugs, police said. Also in the car, was a pair of black ski gloves and another set of gloves stuffed in a plastic bag. The two men were arrested for probable cause burglary. They were identified as Louis Henry Hack, 18, a transient, and Richard Vince Kubacak, 18, also a transient. Bail was set at $50,000.
SATURDAY, MARCH 10 AT 5:25 P.M. Police responded to the 2600 block of 11th Street regarding a report of a man masturbating in public. When officers arrived, they spoke with a woman who said she had parked her car and was walking along the sidewalk when she noticed a man playing with his penis. She immediately called police. Armed with a description of the suspect, police were able to locate him nearby. He was identified by the victim and arrested for indecent exposure. He was identified as Paul Anthony Medina, 55, a transient. His bail was set at $35,000.
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 9:30 P.M. Police responded to the 1300 block of Wilshire Boulevard — Rite-Aid — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they spoke with store security who said the man walked into the store and grabbed a 24-ounce can of Budweiser and placed it in his waistband. He then allegedly selected a 32-ounce beer and paid for it at the counter before walking out of the store. Security stopped the man outside and found the can of beer in his waistband, police said. He was arrested for shoplifting. The suspect was identified as Benjamin Hudson Joseph, 25, a transient. Bail was set at $1,000.
SUNDAY, MARCH 11 AT 9:20 A.M. Officers responded to the 1100 block of California Avenue regarding an assault. When officers arrived, they spoke with a woman who said she had gone to the home of her friend to help her evict a house guest who had worn-out their welcome. When the woman arrived, she was confronted by the house guest, who allegedly punched her in the stomach twice as she spoke to the police on the telephone.
Staff Writer Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 16, 2007. Read the original PDF.