On May 19 at about 10:25 p.m., while in the area of 5th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica patrol officers stopped a possible suspect in an assault and battery that just occurred.
According to the reporting party and victim, the male suspect approached the victim in the 300 block of Wilshire and placed his left hand on her inner thigh. He then moved his hand upward, caressing her leg.
The incident lasted several seconds until the victim, who was frightened of the stranger, yelled at him to leave her alone.
Without saying a word, the suspect, later identified as Wendell W. Lewis, removed his hand from the victim's leg and waked away southbound on 3rd Street and out of sight. He was arrested for assault and battery and booked into the Santa Monica jail. Lewis, 39, homeless, had bail set at $20,000.