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A man has been arrested for molesting elderly patients at Santa Monica area old age homes, authorities say. The press release from Santa Monica Police Dept's Lt. Joseph Cortez reads as follows: The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office – Airport Branch has filed charges on Juan Victor Mendoza, a 55-year-old male, for his involvement in multiple sexual assaults against elderly patients at care facilities. These assaults occurred between 2012 and 2018. In 2019, M...

Update 10 PM: the suspect has been detained with the use of a canine unit, the LA County sheriffs department announced. Sheriffs office denied again that the suspect was wanted for the shooting of two sheriffs deputies Monday. The sheriffs department said that the suspect had a high powered rifle in his possession, which is why he drew 50 or so sheriffs deputies to search for him. This suspect was wanted for a car jacking on September 1. Update, 9:15 pm PST: Police continue...

Los Angeles County Superior Court will attempt to process a backlog of 7000 criminal cases despite Coronavirus. In order to do so, and give criminal defendants their day in Court, the Court will have to call jurors into court. Yes, apparently jury duty will resume. Bring your mask, needless to say. Generally California defendants have the right to a trial within 60 or 70 days of being charged. Covid-19 doesn't alter criminal defendants' right to a speedy trial. The press...

Police have released security camera screen grabs of 3 suspects who robbed an elderly woman, pushing her to the ground, on Sunday, August 20th. Video of the incident was widely seen on social media. SMPD's press release follows: On August 20, 2020 at approximately 8:50pm a robbery occurred near the 1500 block of 6th Street. After parking and exiting her vehicle, the victim was standing on the sidewalk when Suspect-1 grabbed her purse. During this effort, the victim was pulled...

A woman who lives south of Montana but north of Washington on Euclid, reports that she and her husband left home, and returned Friday evening to find a large gentleman using her credit cards in her computer. "Daisy" adds that 48 hours later, the same man tested the locks and attempted to gain entry again, despite the obvious presence of security cameras. Her entire "next-door" post is below. Lock your doors! Burglarized once and then returned 1:30am today. In the last 48 we...

Santa Monica police arrested one suspect, following the stabbing of a 35 year old homeless man in Christine Emerson Reed Park Thursday morning just before 9 am. The victim was transported to the hospital where he is reported to be in a fair condition with one stab wound. SMPD reports the suspect is in custody, and the incident is under investigation. The suspect was later identified as John James. Residents pointed out that the stabbing took place about ten yards away from...

The recent arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell, former personal assistant to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, has cast a light on child trafficking. One local mom organized a protest Thursday afternoon at Santa Monica Place. About 250 protestors held up signs to protest the trade in children. "We are out here to spread awareness because child trafficking has not been a mentioned in the main stream media that represents the true crisis and our local leaders have not made them a...

Four men have admitted their role in a scheme where money and cigarettes were offered to homeless people on Skid Row in exchange for false and forged signatures on ballot petitions and voter registration forms, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced today. Richard Howard, 64, and Louis Thomas Wise, 38, pled no contest Friday to one felony count each of subscribing a fictitious name, or the name of another to an initiative petition and registration of a...

Two men and two teens have been charged with killing rap artist Pop Smoke during a robbery in February, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced today. Corey Walker (dob 11/22/00) and Keandre Rodgers (dob 2/12/02) were each charged today in case BA488518 with murder with the special circumstance allegation that the murder occurred during the commission of a robbery and a burglary, making them eligible for the death penalty. The complaint also alleges gang...

7/9/20: The California Highway Patrol arrested a suspect who lead them on a freeway chase from Santa Ana, finally exiting the ten freeway in Santa Monica. According to the CHP, the pursuit began near the Dyer Road to the 55 Freeway in Santa Ana just after 12:30 p.m. At one point in the televised chase, the white Toyota stopped and a female passenger exited the vehicle with her hands up and was taken into custody in the vicinity of Pacific Coast Highway and Chautauqua...

7/8/2020: The Santa Monica Police Department has arrested 4 people for looting Patagonia, during the riots of 5/31, police said. Two couples (two men and two women) were arrested for removing a safe from the store. Two men and two women were caught on security camera removing a safe from the Patagonia Inc clothing store. “On July 3 , 2020 Santa Monica Police Department Detectives from the Special Investigations Unit and officers from the Crime Impact Team served multiple s...

In only the second arrest warrant known to have been issued for a participant in the George Floyd related riots on May 31, 2020, the Santa Monica Police have asked for the public's help in arresting a suspect. The FBI offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of this unknown suspect. Details from the arrest bulletin sent by Santa Monica Public Information Officer Lt. Joseph Cortez, are as follow: The Santa Monica Police...

Santa Monica Police spent three hours Saturday afternoon, talking a man who threatened to jump onto the Santa Monica Freeway from an exit sign, and kill himself on the 10 freeway below. Traffic was snarled from 2 pm on. Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, an automobile was carjacked in front of the El Pollo Loco in the strip mall at the Southwest corner of Lincoln and Pico Blvd. We are told that it was an armed carjacking, and that ultimately the LAPD arrested two suspects...

It may appear like a scene out of a movie. But for the foreseeable future, Los Angeles County Superior Court judges will be wearing face masks, to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This by order of the presiding judge, Kevin C. Brazile. The good news is the Courts are preparing to reopen. They have been closed to the public since March 15th, 2020. “The Court is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public, attorneys, justice partners, judicial officers and e...

If an asteroid were about to strike Earth, the City of Santa Monica would continue to give out parking citations. The beaches are closed, the parks are closed (except Reed Park, which has 50 or so homeless people living in it). Shops are closed, restaurants can only do take out if they practice social distancing. Stores like Wasteland, Sur Le Table and Pottery Barn are all boarded up. But our intrepid photographer risked his life and a parking ticket, to take the photo which...

Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile today signed a General Order to enact unprecedented measures in the nation's largest trial court to protect the public's health and safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Presiding Judge Brazile took this action after obtaining emergency powers pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code section 68115 and authorization by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil- Sakauye, who conveyed those powers to him last week. "In response to the COVID-19...

The Sylmar Superior Courthouse is closed for three days after a public defender there tested positive for Covid-19, the Superior Court announced Sunday. Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile's office said that she had been caring for a relative with Coronavirus. The Sylmar courthouse, which handles juvenile delinquency cases exclusively, will reopen on Thursday, March 26, 2020, said the press release. The Superior Court announced Tuesday that it would reopen 36 of 38 courthouses,...

Santa Monica Fire companies responded to a report of smoke coming from the roof of a residence at 305 Alta Avenue. This on Thursday February 27, 2020, at 2:36 p.m., The first arriving engine company found a well involved attic fire and started an aggressive coordinated attack on the fire. The fire required a second alarm structure fire assignment for additional resources and was controlled in 33 minutes. The Santa Monica Fire Department committed six engine companies and a...

SB 230 (New Guidelines on the Use of Force and Deadly Force) "While AB 392 updated California's criminal law to match federal standards long in place, SB 230 puts policy and training requirements in place that will materially impact how police view their roles and interact with the public, and may actually have the most transformative effect on police practices," said Scott Tiedemann, Managing Partner of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, California's largest public sector and private...

The Santa Monica Fire Dept says it rescued three victims from a car pinned against a brick wall at Pico and 12th Street. A Toyota Prius crashed agains parking meters, streetlights, trees, a fire hydrant and finally a building. The accident occurred before dawn on Sunday morning, Feb. 9th. It was the latest in a recent string of serious car crashes in Santa Monica. "The Santa Monica Police Department responded to the February 9th traffic collision in the area of 12th Street...

A driver struck a pedestrian who stumbled or "fell" into Lincoln Boulevard traffic near Ocean Park Blvd early Saturday. The LA County Coroner's office identified the deceased as Daniel Chuong, 34. A driver was traveling north on Lincoln when a pedestrian apparently stumbled from the sidewalk and into Lincoln Blvd. He was struck and killed at about 7:10 a.m. Saturday, police said. Lt. Candice Cobarrubias said the pedestrian sustained major head trauma and died while being...

The Los Angeles County coroner's office has identified the victim who died after last Wednesday's high-rise apartment fire. Jeremy Bru, 19, died of complications from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. The coroner has ruled his death "accidental," which opens the way for insurance claims. Bru was not the man out on the ledge rescued by firefighters, reports KABC News, which filmed that famous footage. So far, there has been no word on what sparked the fire which began on...

A 48-year-old man was sentenced to 22 years in state prison for shooting a bar patron during an argument at a Venice bar, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said. Robert Leo Mewhorter, a transient, pleaded no contest on Jan. 10 to one count of attempted murder and admitted allegations of using a handgun and causing great bodily injury. On March 7, 2018, Mewhorter got into an argument at a Venice bar, prosecutors said. The defendant left and returned soon after a...

In the November 2020 election, Californians will have a chance to give an up or down to vote on legislation that ends cash bail. Back in August of 2018, Jerry Brown signed SB 10, "The Money Bail Reform Act," a law that eliminated cash bail. SB 10 was set to take effect in October, 2019, but sufficient signatures were gathered to support putting a measure on the ballot that would overturn the new law, the Referendum to Overturn a 2018 Law That Replaced Money Bail System with a...

The SMPD has arrested a man for throwing Molotov cocktails at two Santa Monica McDonald's restaurants. Prosecutors have charged Korie Schmidt, 31, with possession of an explosive device. He is being held on a $500,000 bond. Schmidt was reportedly videotaped throwing Molotov cocktails on or about the McDonald's on 2712 Santa Monica Boulevard and at the one located at 2902 Pico Boulevard. Molotov cocktail is a breakable glass bottle containing a flammable substance such as...