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, Aug. 11, at 2 a.m.
A man and his female acquaintance were walking along the beach when they were approached by a man who claimed to be a security officer, police said. The man produced a badge and searched the couple, saying he needed to make sure they did not have any alcohol or drugs on them. Police said the man threatened to place the couple under arrest if they did not cooperate. After searching the couple, the man with the badge then ordered them to walk to their car so he could search it. The man forced the couple into the car and jumped into the driver’s seat and took off. He drove the couple to several ATMs in Los Angeles, ordering them to withdraw large sums of money before dropping them off near the West Covina Police Department. There, the couple reported the car-jacking and provided a description of the car and the suspect. The next day, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in the city of Industry spotted the suspect and arrested him for kidnapping, robbery and car-jacking. The suspect was identified as Desmond Maurice McGill, 28, of Glendale. His bail was set at $1 million.
Saturday, Aug. 11, at 7:50 p.m.
Santa Monica Police officers responded to the 2000 block of Pier Avenue after receiving a call regarding a suspicious person in the area. A resident told officers that they saw a man climb over a neighbor’s fence with a duffelbag. Armed with a description of the suspect, officers made contact a short time later. The suspect, who was detained while sitting in a parked van, said he was in the area visiting a friend, but could not provide any more information. After further questioning, the suspect pointed to a home and said his friend lived there. One of the officers went to the home to make contact with the owner. The owner said they did not know the suspect. Officers detained the suspect and conducted a search of his vehicle. They found a small amount of marijuana, electronics and miscellaneous papers. Officers went to the home that was allegedly burglarized and noticed some of the window screens had been removed. Officers could not confirm if the suspect made entry, but there was enough evidence in the van to place him under arrest for burglary and possession of a controlled substance. The suspect was identified as Sebastian Guy Underwood II, 25, from Los Angeles. His bail was set at $50,000.
Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 11:30 a.m.
Officers on routine patrol near the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Marine Street spotted a person riding in the back of a truck with a dog that was not tethered, in violation of the vehicle code. Officers conducted a traffic stop and recognized one of the occupants as a person wanted in connection with a warrant issued for the sale of narcotics. The warrant originated from a drug sale at the Pavilion Motel in Sunset Park. The suspect was arrested. She was identified as Melanie Ann Pump, 43, from Santa Monica. No bail was set because she was on probation, police said.
Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 a.m.
Officers responded to the 1400 block of Third Street — Broadway Deli — regarding a suspect who was being held by restaurant employees for failing to pay for $17.38 worth of food they had just eaten. When officers arrived, they spoke with the suspect, who said they did not have money to pay for the food. The suspect was arrested and charged with commercial burglary since he went into the restaurant with the intention not to pay, as he had no money. The suspect was identified as Nabil Jamali, 29, a transient. His bail was set at $20,000.
Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 7:50 p.m.
Officers responded to the 1800 block of 16th Street regarding a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When officers arrived, they made contact with several witnesses who said that a fight broke out between relatives over the storage of jet skis. Apparently, one of the jet skis scratched the relative’s car. At some point during the argument, the suspect grabbed the victim and hit him with a glass bottle. The suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. He was identified as John Anthony Martin, 27, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $30,000.
Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 2:20 p.m.
Officers responded to the 1600 block of 11th Street after receiving a report about an attempted kidnapping. When officers arrived, they made contact with the victim, who said she was walking to back to work after getting something to eat when two men grabbed her and tried to throw her in some bushes to rape her. She managed to break away from them and ran to her work, where she called police. She was able to identify the two suspects, who were still in the area. Officers arrested the suspects for kidnapping and attempted rape. They were identified as Ricardo Serrano, 43, a transient, and Phillipe Quinones, 39, a transient. Bail was set at $1 million for both suspects.
Staff Writer Kevin Herrera compiled these reports.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 17, 2007. Read the original PDF.