By By Daily Press Staff
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.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8, AT 12:20 P.M., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 200 block of Broadway — Interactive Cafe — regarding a suspect who refused to pay for juice he consumed. Officers made contact with the suspect and asked him to pay his bill. The suspect allegedly refused and was placed under arrest for defrauding an innkeeper. The suspect was identified as Donnie Albert, 49, a transient. His bail was set at $3,000.
MONDAY, AUG. 4, AT 8 P.M., Police officers responded to a location in North Hollywood after receiving a call regarding a kidnap-ping that occurred in the 1500 block of Ocean Avenue. When officers arrived, they made contact with the alleged victim who said she and her boyfriend were involved in an argument in Santa Monica a day earlier that turned violent when the boyfriend began beating her. The boyfriend then dragged her out of the apartment and drove her to a location in North Hollywood. When the suspect let her out of his site, she ran to a phone and dialed 911. LAPD officers detained the suspect and notified SMPD officers, who placed him under arrest for domestic violence, kidnapping and violation of probation. The girlfriend was transported to an area hospital with facial injuries. The suspect was identified as Luis Navarro Hernandez, 22, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $100,000.
TUESDAY, AUG. 5, AT 3 A.M., Officers responded to the 100 block of Wilshire Boulevard regarding a report of a man causing a disturbance. Officers made contact with the suspect, who appeared to be under the influence of a drug. Officers questioned the suspect, conducted a field sobriety test and arrested the suspect for being under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant. He was transported to the Santa Monica Jail and booked for being under the influence and for violating of probation. The suspect was identified as Jessie Cruz, 22, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $10,000.
MONDAY, AUG. 4, AT 10:50 P.M., Officers responded to a report of a fight in the area of Third Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. When officers arrived they spoke to one of the parties involved who displayed signs of public intoxication. During the investigation, the suspect allegedly tried to punch one of the officers. After a brief struggle, the officers were able to place the suspect in custody. She was later booked for being drunk in public, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. Her bail was set at $20,000. The suspect was identified as Lisa Maria Axe Luckman, 31, of Santa Monica.
THURSDAY, AUG. 7, AT 6 P.M., Officers responded to the 1400 block of Wilshire Boulevard — Bank of America — regarding a report of someone trying to cash a check which a bank employee believed was fraudulent. When officers arrived, they placed the suspect in custody and spoke with the bank employee who said the suspect was trying to cash a check worth $17,000. Officers learned that there were alleged accomplices in a vehicle parked in the bank parking lot. Officers arrested those suspects as well for attempting to pass a fraudulent check. The suspects were identified as Sheika Mechelle Hurd, 20, of Riverside; Torion Deandre Calhoun, 20, a transient; Phillip Jordon Betts, 18, a transient; and James Lewis Ward, 21, of Riverside. Bail was set at $20,000 for each suspect except Calhoun, who was booked for possession of marijuana, false impersonation and four warrants. His bail was set at $87,500. Ward was also booked for possession of marijuana in addition to burglary, police said.
MONDAY, AUG. 11, AT 7:10 P.M., Officers responded to the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway regarding a report of a vehicle burglary. Witnesses told the officers that they observed a suspect break a window of a parked car in one of the beach lots and remove a bag from the inside. The suspect ran away with the bag, but dropped it after he saw witnesses calling the police. The suspect was apprehended by officers and booked for auto burglary. The suspect was identified as George Anthony Figueroa, 37, a transient. His bail was set at $20,000.
TUESDAY, AUG. 5, AT 8 P.M., Officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Macy’s — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they made contact with store security who said the suspect walked into the store, grabbed several shirts and removed price tags and censors and then placed them in a backpack. As he tried to exit the store, store security detained the suspect and notified police. The suspect was placed under arrest for petty theft. The shirts, valued at $199, were recovered. The suspect was identified as Dimitry K. Ivanchuck, 20, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $1,000.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3, AT 11:20 P.M., Police responded to the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard after receiving a report of a domestic dispute in the area. When officers arrived, they spoke to the alleged victim who said she and her ex-husband were involved in an argument that turned violent. The ex allegedly pushed the woman to the ground and tried to drag her into a hotel room. The ex-husband was arrested and booked for kidnapping and domestic violence. His bail was set at $100,000. He was identified as Aleksey Chergivayev, 60, from St. Louis, Mo. His bail was set at $100,000.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3, AT 6:45 P.M., An officer was on routine patrol in the 2800 block of Barnard Way when he noticed a vehicle with a broken taillight. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop. When the officer ran the vehicle’s license plate, the officer discovered that they car was stolen. The officer placed the driver under arrest for grand theft auto. The suspect was identified as Tommy Roycelle Wyms, 42, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $55,000.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2008. Read the original PDF.