By BY DAILY PRESS STAFF Staff Writer KEVIN HERRERA compiled these reports.
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. 29, AT 4:20 P.M. A Santa Monica Police officer on bike patrol along the Third Street Promenade was flagged down by a man who said his bicycle had just been stolen. The man told the officer that he had just parked his bike and entered a store. When he returned, it was gone. While talking with the officer, the man saw someone riding his bike west on Santa Monica Boulevard. The officer detained the suspect, who gave several conflicting stories about how he obtained the bike. The officer arrested the suspect for possession of stolen property. The suspect also had in his possession a glass pipe commonly used to smoke rock cocaine. The suspect was identified as Joshua Allen Jackson, 18, a transient. His bail was set at $20,500.
FRIDAY, AUG. 31, AT 3:30 P.M. Officers responded to the 1200 block of Third Street — the Apple Store — regarding a shoplifting suspect in custody. When officers arrived, they spoke with store employees who said the suspect walked into the store, picked up a Blue Tooth headset valued at $130 and walked out without paying for the item. He was detained by employees once outside the store. Officers said the suspect had an outstanding warrant. He was arrested for commercial burglary and held on the warrant. The suspect was identified as Rudy Leonel Murcia, 28, a transient.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 AT 3:30 P.M. Officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Macy’s — regarding two shoplifting suspects in custody. When officers arrived they made contact with store employees who said the two suspects walked into the department store carrying back-packs. The suspects walked over to a blue jeans display and proceeded to take off the electric tags that are supposed to prevent people from walking out of the store without paying. But that’s exactly what the suspects did. They were detained outside the store. Officers searched their backpacks and found several items, including jeans, sunglasses, a belt, handkerchief and a hat, all valued at around $334. The two suspects were arrested for possession of stolen property. One suspect was a juvenile. The other was identified as Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, 18, of Paramount. His bail was set at $20,000.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 2, AT 3:32 P.M. Officers responded to the 300 block of Pico Boulevard — AM/PM — regarding a report of an attempted battery that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they spoke with a cashier at the gas station who said that a man walked into the store and grabbed a beer and then cut in front of everyone in line, threw down some money and then proceeded to walk out of the store. That’s when the cashier told the man that he could not just cut in front of everyone else. The man allegedly began to yell obscenities at the cashier and tried to spit on the employee. The cashier called police, who arrived a short time later and apprehended the suspect, who was still out in front of the store. The suspect was arrested for attempted battery. He was identified as Raymond Lee Williams, 58, of Los Angeles. His bail was set at $12,500.
SUNDAY, AUG. 26, AT 6 P.M. Officers responded to the Santa Monica Pier after receiving a call from security at Pacific Park about a man trying to buy Pizza Hut pizzas with a counterfeit $100 bill. The suspect allegedly told officers that he knew the money was counterfeit. He was arrested and transported to the Santa Monica Jail. He was identified as Brandon Radale Love, 19, from Gardena. His bail was set at $20,000.
TUESDAY, AUG. 28, AT 7:45 A.M. Officers on routine patrol in Parking Structure No. 2 noticed a man rummaging through a parked car. Officers approached the man to ask him if everything was OK since the man was seen looking over his shoulder repeatedly, as if he was looking out for someone. Officers said the man told them he was looking for a cell phone, something which didn’t seem right given the fact that he had a cell phone attached to his belt. Officers said the suspect told them the car was his girlfriends. Officers ran the license plate and discovered that the car belonged to a man. Officers took a cell phone they found in the car and used it to call the owners’ friends. Officers learned that the owner of the cell phone and the car worked nearby. Officers contacted the owner, who said he had not given the suspect permission to be in his car. Officers arrested the suspect for burglary. He was identified as Brendan Sean Erie, 25, a Santa Monica resident. His bail was set at $20,000.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 7, 2007. Read the original PDF.