SANTA MONICA—On July 10, the Santa Monica Police Department announced that on June 22, the department used the SMART Center to locate a vehicle wanted in connection with a felony robbery in Whittier and identified the driver as George Jeremiah Romero. K9-Norton and his handler discovered the vehicle near Main Street and Pico Boulevard.
They followed the vehicle until it stopped near Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Other officers arrived because it was believed that Romero was armed. A traffic stop was conducted, which led to the discovery of a firearm magazine inside the vehicle.
Romero was taken into police custody, and the vehicle was turned over to the Whittier Police Department, which is conducting the ongoing investigation into the robbery.
The SMPD thanked K9-Norton and officers who conducted the stop for their efforts and for the help from the Whittier Police Department.
Canyon News reached out to the SMPD for comment but did not hear back before publication.
By Daniel Diquinzio