SANTA MONICA—On Monday, January 13, Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email that from January 7 through January 13, officers stopped hundreds of individuals in the city’s evacuation zones, leading to more than 40 arrests. All individuals arrested were in the zones in violation to the legal emergency orders; most were also violating the city [Santa Monica Municipal Code 2.16.100(2)] and county curfew orders.
Officers may detain and/or arrest unauthorized subjects in the evacuation area at any time. The Santa Monica city curfew is sunset to sunrise. Ten subjects were arrested for burglary (three individuals in one incident on 18th Street, four individuals in the 200 Block of Euclid, and two individuals at 10th and Carlyle). Six were in possession of burglary tools. The rest were arrested for other violations, including curfew, drug possession, driving violations, outstanding warrants, parole and probation violations, etc. Two of the individuals were in possession of concealed handguns. None of the arrestees are from Santa Monica.
This is a significant increase in the normal number of arrests in the neighborhoods in the evacuation zones (North of Montana – NOMA and WILMONT). Our dedicated team of officers did a phenomenal job saturating the evacuation areas and tamping down criminal activity.
“I am grateful for the unwavering dedication and professionalism of all the officers and professional staff in the SMPD. Over the past seven days, while the fires in Palisades tested the resilience of many, each of them stood strong, ensuring that the city of Santa Monica remained safe and secure. I am also grateful for the collaboration with our mutual aid partners who supported us on the front lines and the National Guard for helping us secure the evacuation zones and maintain entry and exit points to the closed areas,” said Chief Ramon Batista.
On January 9 on 10th Street and Caryle, Miguel Angel Dorantes, 22, and Dominic Pacheco Magana, 18, were arrested after a traffic stop.
At 4:39 p.m., officers assigned to the mandatory evacuation area observed a white cargo van fail to stop at the intersection of 11th and Carlyle. The officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and found it occupied by Dorantes, the driver, and Pacheco Magana in the passenger seat. Neither were in possession of identification. The vehicle was missing the front license plate and displayed stolen registration stickers. During the investigation, Pacheco Magana was seen using the Watch Duty app on his phone. The app shows maps of active fires and evacuation zones, including the zones in Santa Monica.
Officers searched the vehicle and located a black ski mask in between the driver’s seat and passenger seat. They located a pair of black Nike nylon gloves in the driver’s side door.
While searching the cargo area of the van, officers located three large Amazon freight tote bags and black t-shirts. Based on the items located inside the vehicle, the location of the vehicle stop, the ski mask, and the attempt to conceal their identity and avoid detection by removing the license plate, officers arrested the duo for being in the mandatory evacuation area with the specific intent to commit residential burglaries.
On January 10, at 1 a.m., officers responded to 4th Street and Alta Avenue to assist a UCLA PD sergeant with a traffic stop at 4th Street and Alta Avenue The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Christensen Alexander Weithorn, 25, was listed as the owner of a handgun. Weithorn explained he was in possession of the firearm.
Officers retrieved the handgun in the rear passenger seat of the vehicle. The firearm and ammunition were concealed inside a black backpack, a violation of the vehicle code (concealed firearm in a vehicle).
On that same day, several suspects were arrested after a traffic stop: Markhi Toles, 20, Joshua Charles, 20, Fernando Garcia Jr., 22 and Khamari Toles, 19.
At 4:20 a.m., officers from the SMPD and mutual aid officers from UCLA PD performed a traffic stop of a vehicle in the evacuation zone during the hours of the Santa Monica curfew order.
The vehicle had darkly tinted windows and license plates that did not belong to the vehicle. Officers observed multiple license plates in the front driver side of the vehicle, one of which belonged to the vehicle. During their investigation, officers also found multiple key fobs, a key fob programmer, a window breaker, a small saw and gloves inside the vehicle. All parties inside the vehicle had multiple key fobs in their possession. The driver and passengers were all arrested for 182(a)(1) PC (Conspiracy to Commit a Felony) and 10851(a) VC – Vehicle Theft as the felony they were attempting to commit. Additionally, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Fernando Garcia Jr., was placed under arrest for 4463 VC (Fake/Fraudulent License Plate) and 485 PC (Misappropriated of Lost Property).
On January 11, Joshua Kaliel Love, 29 was arrested after a burglary on the 400 block of San Vicente. At 10 p.m., a Santa Monica Traffic Officer was flagged down by a witness who reported a subject was in a breezeway at an apartment building in the 400 Block of San Vicente. The subject was seen going through cabinets in the common area and garage of the building.
Officers responding to the location located a subject matching the witness’s description in the alley rear in the 600 Block of San Vicente Boulevard. The subject, later identified as Love, saw officers and ran. He was eventually detained without incident. Love consented to a search of his person and was found to be in possession of a gold-colored window punch, a common burglary tool. Love was also in possession of one blue mechanic glove and a ski mask. Officers canvassed the area and located the matching blue mechanic glove. One of the officers on scene recognized Love from an encounter on January 10 when the officer advised Love about the curfew and evacuation orders. He was arrested at that time for possession of methamphetamine.
On January 11 at 9 p.m. Adrian Moreno Hernandez, 49, Moises Becerra Garcia, 49, and Carmen Alicia Lopez, 56, were arrested after a traffic stop.
Photo courtesy of the Santa Monica Police Department.
At 9 p.m., officers were performing a periodic check in the 200 Block of 9th Street, inside the evacuation zone. While parked at the intersection, officers observed a sedan approach the stop sign at 9th Street and San Vicente Boulevard. The officers could see the vehicle had a crumbled white paper plate that appeared to be handwritten with a black marker.
This altered plate was in violation of 4463(a)(1) CVC- Alters, forges, counterfeits, or falsifies a certificate of ownership, registration card, certificate, license, license plate, temporary license plate. The officers stopped the vehicle containing three occupants and began an investigation.
Officers located multiple tools including a hand saw, bolt cutters, and pry tools scattered in the vehicle. The driver, Moreno, was not licensed, a violation of 12500(a)(1) CVC.
He was also in possession of narcotics and burglary tools. Passenger Lopez was in possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary tools. Becerra Garcia provided false identification to the officers and was in possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a headlamp.
On that same day, Phillip Michael Briones, 32, was arrested after a pedestrian stop on Ocean Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard. At 11 p.m., Briones was located inside the evacuation zone by officers in violation of curfew. Briones was in possession of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia.
Photo courtesy of the Santa Monica Police Department.
On Sunday, January 12, a traffic stop led to the arrest of Timyan Exequiel Mujica, 20. At 7:20 p.m., while driving eastbound on the 600 block of Montana Avenue, officers observed a vehicle with no front license plate in violation of CVC 5200(a). A records check revealed the vehicle’s registration was expired in violation of CVC 4000(a). Officers contacted Mujica who had a Felony Warrant for Grand Theft out of San Bernardino County. The warrant was confirmed, and Mujica was placed under arrest. During a search of Mujica’s vehicle, officers found a shoe box containing 24 pairs of glasses (sunglasses and prescription frames).
Twelve of the glasses still had price tags on them adding up to $3,100 in value. The glasses were seized as evidence pending an investigation.
On January 13, Luis Alberto Perez, 31, and Tomas Feliciano Mateo, 27, were arrested after a traffic stop on 11th Street and San Vicente Boulevard.
At 1:25 a.m., Mateo was observed driving a vehicle in the evacuation area during hours of curfew. During the stop, Mateo was determined to be under the influence. Perez, the vehicle owner and passenger, had an outstanding warrant out of Kern County.
By Trevor
