By By Daily Press Staff
• On Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 8:31 p.m., a witness to an assault flagged down two Santa Monica Police officers who were driving by in the area of Fourth and Strand streets. Apparently, the victim and a friend were sitting in their vehicle when the suspect pulled up behind them, exited his vehicle and approached the driver. The suspect told the driver he needed to move his vehicle and the driver refused. The suspect walked to his vehicle and retrieved a knife. The suspect then approached the victim, and a passenger in the vehicle, who had exited the car. The suspect grabbed the victim around the neck and attempted to stab her in the abdomen, inflicting a minor cut. The driver attempted to intervene, at which time the suspect cut the driver in the right shoulder. The suspect fled on foot and ran into a market and stole two bottles of wine. When the suspect returned to his vehicle, the officers had arrived. The suspect was taken into custody after fighting with the officers. The victims were treated for minor stab wounds by Santa Monica paramedics and taken to a local hospital. They were listed in stable condition. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Santa Monica Jail where he was booked for attempted murder. His bail has been set at $500,000. The suspect, who is homeless, was identified as James Darrell Gardner, 43.
• On Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 10:51 p.m., police responded to the area of Third Street and Santa Monica Boulevard regarding an assault investigation. When officers arrived, they spoke to a man who said that he was stabbed once with a glass pipe — a four-inch glass cylindrical item, typically used to smoke narcotics. The victim knew the suspect and was able to provide officers with the suspect’s information. The victim was taken to a local hospital with a stab wound to the upper torso, and was listed in stable condition. The next day, at about 1:35 a.m., officers spotted the suspect in the 400 block of Colorado Avenue. The suspect was arrested and booked for attempted murder. His bail was set at $500,000. The suspect was identified as Ian Michael McNulty, 33, a transient.
• On Saturday, Sept. 2 at 10:50 p.m., police responded to the 200 block of the beach regarding a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When officers arrived, they spoke with a man who said he was drinking alcohol with two other transients when one of the men asked if he had any money. He said he had $20 but would not give it up. The man who made the request threatened the other, saying he would take the money by force. The man with the cash refused again to hand it over, prompting the other to cut the other’s throat, causing a two-inch long gash on his neck, police said. The suspect then fled on foot and the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The next day, about 2:50 a.m., officers stopped the suspect in the 1500 block of Pacific Coast Highway. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The suspect was identified as Jeffrey K. Cervantez, 41, a transient. His bail was set at $30,000.
• On Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2:17 p.m., a woman claiming to be a victim of domestic violence filed a complaint at the Public Safety Building near City Hall. Officers took the report, which said the woman had been involved in an argument with her boyfriend, who picked her up and threw her out of their apartment, sending her down a flight of stairs. The woman was not injured, police said. Officers drove to the location of the alleged incident — the 2400 block of Oak Street — and contacted the boyfriend, who was arrested for domestic violence. He was identified as Jonathan Steinberg, 36, of Santa Monica. His bail was set at $100,000.
• On Sunday, Aug. 26 at 7:16 p.m., police responded to the 600 block of Arizona Avenue regarding a report of a traffic accident. When officers arrived, they spoke with one of the drivers who said that while she was driving, she got into an argument with her boyfriend, who began to choke her, causing her to black out and lose control of the vehicle. She crashed into another car. The accident report was not available, police said. The boyfriend allegedly told his girlfriend not to call the police and fled the scene on foot. The woman was transported to a local hospital, complaining of pain around her neck. On Sept. 1, at 12:19 p.m., officers responded to a call from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies who had the suspect in custody at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The suspect was taken into custody under a Santa Monica warrant. He was transported to the Santa Monica Jail and booked for assault with a deadly weapon. He was identified as Damien Anthony Blanco, 31, of Saugus, Calif. No bail was set because of a parole violation, police said.
• On Friday, Sept. 1 at 4:14 a.m., police responded to the 2900 block of Nielson Way regarding a suspicious person in the parking garage of an apartment building. When officers arrived, they spoke to a security guard who pointed out the suspect, who was wondering around the garage. Officers detained the suspect and during their investigation recovered several items in his possession, including a handicap placard, road maps, a bicycle pump and identification cards. A search of the parking structure revealed that several cars had been broken into. The suspect was arrested for burglary. He was identified as Jeffrey Bly, 31, a transient. His bail was set at $50,000.
• On Friday, July 20 at 1:45 p.m., officers responded to Yoshinoya restaurant in the 2300 block of Pico Boulevard regarding a theft investigation. When officers arrived, they spoke to the district manager who said he received a phone call from an employee who said he had taken the receipts from two days of sales because he needed the money. The loss was estimated at $4,018.04. On Thursday, Aug. 31, at 5:30 p.m., the suspect turned himself in to the police and was booked for grant theft. He was identified as Santhana Chann, 24, of Torrance. His bail was set at $20,000.
• On Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8:45 a.m., police responded to the 3200 block of Wilshire Boulevard — Armstrong Garden Center — regarding a report of theft. When officers arrived, they spoke to an employee at the nursery who said a woman tried to steal two plants. When the employee confronted her, she jumped in her car and put the vehicle in reverse, almost striking the employee, who got a good look at her license place. Officers used that information to locate the suspect’s residence, where they waited for her to arrive. When she did, officers placed her under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, petty theft with a prior and two outstanding warrants. She was identified as Linda Gregorio Olmedo, 51, of Los Angeles. Her bail was set at $41,500.
(Daily Press staff writer Kevin Herrera compiled this report.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 8, 2006. Read the original PDF.