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.
SATURDAY, JULY 12, AT 3:15 P.M., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1400 block of Court 3 after receiving a report of a suspected drunk driver. When officers arrived they found a woman sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car. Officers made contact with the woman and determined that she was possibly under the influence of a controlled substance. Officers searched her and the car and found cocaine and tar heroin. The suspect was also in possession of hypodermic needles and drug paraphernalia. The woman was placed under arrest for possession, driving on a suspended license and for driving under the influence of drugs. Her bail was set at $10,000. She was identified as Sabrina Tatiana Bernstein, 21, of Los Angeles.
THURSDAY, JULY 10, AT 5:40 P.M., Vice officers working an undercover operation at a massage parlor in the 600 block of Broadway arrested a massage therapist for exposing her breasts. Officers said the therapist removed an officers towel and attempted to perform a sex act on him. She was booked for prostitution, being a massage technician who exposed her genitals and for being a massage technician in a room with a nude customer. The suspect was identified as Jung Ae Rangel, 41, of Santa Monica. Her bail was set at $2,000.
THURSDAY, JULY 10, AT 8:05 A.M., Officers responded to the 700 block of Broadway after receiving a report about a woman sitting on the sidewalk who appeared to be intoxicated. When officers arrived, they made contact with the suspect, who was sitting with an open can of beer. When the responding officers tried to take the beer can, the suspect allegedly flicked a lit cigarette at them, hitting an officer’s trousers. The woman was placed under arrest for public intoxication, battery on a police officer and for being in possession of an open container. She was identified as Jewel Vine, 57, a transient. Her bail was set at $20,000.
SATURDAY, JULY 12, AT 4:37 P.M., Police officers responded to the 2600 block of the beach after being flagged down by a Los Angeles County lifeguard who saw a man in possession of an alcoholic beverage that was in a glass bottle. It is illegal to drink on the beach as well as to have a glass container. Officers contacted the man and also discovered that he was in possession of a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The man was placed under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia and for drinking in public. He was identified as Marlon Andre Franklin, 24, a transient. His bail was set at $250.
TUESDAY, JULY 8, AT 12:16 A.M., Officers in the 1500 block of Ocean Avenue observed a subject sitting in the park after hours. Officers approached the man and asked for identification, but the man said he did not have any. Officers later discovered that the man was on parole and in possession of drug paraphernalia, which included a needle and a small, empty bag with white powder residue. He was arrested and booked for violating his parole. The suspect was identified as Maurice Ricardo Vurgess, 40, a transient. No bail was set.
MONDAY, JULY 7, AT 11:05 P.M., Police responded to the 3000 block of Airport Avenue regarding a report of trespassing. When officers arrived they made contact with airport security who said the suspect was seen bouncing up and down on an aircraft parked in a restricted area. Officers chased the suspect and after a brief struggle placed him under arrest for vandalism, public intoxication, trespassing and resisting arrest. He was identified as Chong Won Ahn, 27, from Los Angeles. His bail was set at $10,000.
FRIDAY, JULY 11, AT 8:36 P.M., Officers on the Santa Monica Pier were flagged down regarding a strong arm robbery that occurred. Witnesses told officers that a photographer was walking up the ramp when a man approached him and grabbed his bag. The victim pleaded with the suspect to return the bag. The suspect struck the victim in the nose, causing it to bleed. Witnesses gave police a description of the suspect and he was apprehended a short time later. He was booked for strong arm robbery. His bail was set at $50,000. The suspect was identified as Daniel Armando Glavez, 29, of Los Angeles.
FRIDAY, JULY 11, AT 7:20 P.M., Officers responded to the 2400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard — McCabe’s Bar and Grill — after receiving a report of a patron who skipped out on a bill. When officers arrived they spoke with employees at the bar who pointed officers in the direction the suspect fled. They said the suspect ran up a bar tab of $112 and then left while the waitress was-n’t looking. Officers caught up with the suspect and placed him under arrest for defrauding an innkeeper and for violating his probation. The suspect was cited and released. He was identified as Carlos Pineiro, 42, from West Hollywood.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 18, 2008. Read the original PDF.