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.
Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 3 p.m.
Responding to complaints from residents about drivers speeding and failing to stop at marked intersections, Santa Monica Police officers stationed themselves near the 1000 block of 14th Street to watch for moving violations. While there, they observed a driver go through an intersection without stopping at a stop sign. Officers ordered the driver to pull over and were prepared to question him when the driver became argumentative, police said. He got out of his car to hand the officers his license. That’s when the 76-year-old driver ran off. Officers gave chase and detained him. The driver continued to be uncooperative, kicking and yelling at the officers. The driver then grabbed an officer’s arm and bit it, police said. The bite was not severe, but the officer did go to the hospital to have it checked out. The driver was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and also for failing to stop at the intersection. He was identified as Isaac Samuel Gabriel of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $25,000.
Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m.
Officers at the substation on Second Street were approached by people who told them that they had just seen a man kick in a storefront window on the corner of Broadway and Second Street. Witnesses said the man walked over to an empty corner store and began moving erratically. Suddenly, he turned towards the window and kicked it several times before it shattered, witnesses told police. He then walked to another window and began kicking that. Witnesses said they yelled for him to stop, but he wouldn’t, so they ran over to the substation for help. Officers went to the location and detained the suspect. Officers said the shattered window was about 7-feet long and 7-feet wide and was about a quarter of an inch thick. The cost to replace it was estimated to be around $6,000 or $7,000. The suspect was arrested for felony vandalism. He was identified as Glenn Innocent Ford, 56, a transient. His bail was set at $20,000.
Thursday, Aug. 16, at 1:45 a.m.
Officers responded to the 600 block of Wilshire Boulevard — 7-11 — regarding a suspect who had just walked out of the convenience store without paying for the coffee he drank and donuts he ate. When officers arrived, store employees said the man was hiding between two parked cars. Officers detained the suspect, who was later identified by witnesses. The suspect was arrested for defrauding an innkeeper. He was identified as Francisco Campara, 34, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $31,273.
Thursday, Aug. 16, at 10:45 a.m.
Officers on patrol along the Third Street Promenade were flagged down by employees from The Coffee Bean in the 1300 block of Third Street. The employees told officers that a man had just walked into the coffee shop and stuck his hand in the tip jar. An employee saw this and hollered at him to leave. The employee said the man took money in the tip jar and ran off. He was spotted by the employee and arrested by officers for burglary. No money was found at the time of the arrest. The suspect, who was on parole, was identified as Donald Jake Sellers, 33, a transient. No bail was set.
Friday, Aug. 17, at 2 a.m.
Officers responded to the 300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard — The Britannia Pub — regarding an assault. When officers arrived, they spoke with the alleged victim, who said he was standing at a street corner when he noticed a man walk out of the pub and throw a beer bottle at a cab that was driving by. The victim said the man then began walking towards him. When the suspect approached, he grabbed the victim by the wrist and said, “You’re coming with me.” The victim pulled away from the suspect and called police. Officers located the suspect and placed him under arrest for assault and battery for grabbing the other man’s wrist, and for public intoxication. The suspect was identified as John Charles Benavente, 34, from Santa Monica. His bail was set at $20,000.
Friday, Aug. 17, at 2 p.m.
Officers patrolling Palisades Park spotted two homeless people, a man and a woman, whom they recognized from prior contacts. Officers said the two suspects spotted them and immediately tried to hide behind a tree. Officers noticed that they were holding expensive backpacks. The officers questioned the two and found that the bags, which still contained price tags, were either purchased or stolen from REI on Fourth Street. Officers made contact with the store manager, who said that two suspects were seen on videotape over the last couple of days stealing items from the store. Officers searched inside the bags and discovered several items valued at around $870. The suspects were arrested for commercial burglary. They were identified as Julia Anna Spaulding, 44, and Dale Russell, 42. Spaulding’s bail was set at $22,500, and Russell’s bail was set at $70,000.
Staff Writer Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 24, 2007. Read the original PDF.