ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 AT 11:35 P.M., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1300 block of Wilshire Boulevard — Rite Aid — regarding a suspicious man who was believed to be shoplifting. When officers arrived, they made contact with store employees who said a man walked into the store, looked at several items and then left. Employees believed the man had stolen something and gave a description to officers. Once outside of the store, officers made contact with a person on the street who said they had seen the man walk out of the Rite Aid and into a Walgreens up the street. Officers went to the drug store and spoke with the store manger who said the suspect was there, trying to hide behind a pillar. Officers confronted the suspect and noticed there were several empty cartons of cough syrup on the floor. Officers searched the suspect and found the cough medicine in his pockets, police said. The suspect said he had taken the syrup because he was addicted to it, calling the syrup the “poor man’s acid,” police said. The suspect was taken into custody and booked at the Santa Monica Jail for attempted burglary and for violating his parole, police said. He was identified as Michael Julian Topper, 31, a transient. No bail was set.
FRIDAY, FEB. 16 AT 8:45 P.M., Officers responded to the 1500 block of Fourth Street — Parking Structure 7 — regarding an armed robbery that had just occurred. Officers spoke with a parking attendant who said he was counting money near his ticket booth when he was struck from behind by some object. While his vision was blurry from the blow, the attendant told police that he could see the suspect take the money and flee. Armed with a description of the suspect, officers located him a few blocks away and he was arrested for armed robbery. He was identified as Jevary Whitman, 22, a transient. No bail was set because the suspect was on parole, police said. Officers recovered $53.
ON MONDAY, FEB. 12 AT 1:45 P.M., Officers responded to the 1200 block of Fourth Street — Circuit City — regarding an employee who had been stealing money and merchandise from the store. When officers arrived, they spoke with store management who said the employee had stolen at least $1,400 in cash from the registers and another $2,000 in DVDs and other merchandise over a month-long period. Store security caught the thefts on tape, police said. The employee was booked for grand theft. He was identified as Ronnie Leon Bullocks, 25, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $20,000.
ON MONDAY FEB. 12 AT 6:45 P.M., Officers on routine patrol near the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Ashland Avenue spotted a man riding his bicycle on the sidewalk in violation of the municipal code. Officers made contact with the bike rider and since he had no identification, they conducted a search and discovered a glass pipe with burnt white residue. Also, inside his pack of cigarettes, officers found two pieces of rock cocaine, police said. The suspect was arrested for possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia. He was identified as Donald Thomas Hulett, 41, of Santa Monica. No bail was set because he was on probation, police said.
ON FEB. 14 AT 1:10 P.M., Officers responded to the 600 block of Santa Monica Boulevard — Main Library — regarding a man in custody who was seen masturbating in public. When officers arrived, they spoke with a librarian who said that while they were making their rounds they saw the man playing with himself in plain sight. Police arrested the suspect for indecent exposure. He was identified as Andrew David Bowers, 23, a transient. His bail was set at $1,600.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 23, 2007. Read the original PDF.