Sex Crimes Continue Disturbing Trend

September 11, 2024 -- Three sex-related crimes recently took place in Santa Monica, contributing to what Police Chief Ramon Batista has called a "disturbing string of crimes" ("Police Chief Addresses Recent 'String of Crimes,'" September 6, 2024).

Two of the incidents were among those that led to 61 total arrests between Saturday, August 31 and Friday, September 6, according to an update of the Police Department's blog "The Blue Notebook" posted Tuesday.

During the seven-day stretch, there were a total of 2,586 calls for service, with 1,664 initiated by citizens and 922 by police. The homeless were involved in 17 percent of the reported incidents.

Two of the arrests were for indecent exposure, police said. One took place after the suspet, with his penis exposed, passed the victim as she walked northbound on the 1600 block of 7th Street, police said.

"The victim tried to avoid the suspect, but he stepped in front of her blocking her path," according to the post by Lt. Erika Aklufi, SMPD's spokesperson. "The suspect touched his erect penis to the victim’s hand."

Responding officers located the suspect, and he was detained and identified by the victim. He was charged with indecent exposure and battery.

The second arrest took place on the 1900 Block of Pico Boulevard when members of SMPD's Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team assisted patrol officers with an indecent exposure call.

"The victim claimed the suspect pulled out his penis and began masturbating while looking at the victim," police said. HLP Team members located the suspect and took him to jail.

"The victim stated that the suspect had made inappropriate comments to her and her daughter in the past," according to the blog.

The third incident -- a sexual assault -- took place in an apartment on the 1600 Block of Lincoln Boulevard after the victim called police.

She told the responding officers that "she met the suspect recently after getting locked out of her apartment and they spent the day together," according to the blog.

"The suspect helped the victim get into her apartment, and once inside sexually assaulted her," police said. He fled when the victim said she was calling police.

Detectives are currently investigating the incident. The suspect remains at large.

Officers also arrested a sex offender in Reed Park who was out of compliance with his registration requirements. His "offending charge was rape," police said.

HLP officers cleared three encampments, and made one arrest for a warrant after the subject continued to build encampments in an alley for more than one month.

On subsequent days, HLP officers cited another individual for "obstructing a public sidewalk and misappropriation of lost property," police said. After multiple contacts with the HLP team starting in November 2022, the individual "is open to receiving services."

Another homeless individual cited for an encampment on the Expo Bike Path and "contacted there multiple times," has requested a referral to Samoshel "while he attempts to purchase a bus/train ticket back to Ohio."

In one of the noted arrests, police officers responded to the 1700 Block Franklin Street regarding a "hot prowl."

The victim told dispatchers "she could hear an unknown suspect in the bathroom of (her) apartment," police said.

Officers located the suspect, who had entered the apartment by tearing a screen and opening the window. "While inside the residence, the suspect consumed the victim’s food and used utilities," police said.

Other notable arrests included one for robbery at the Southern California Edison facility on the 1700 Block of 22nd Street after a security guard told officers he saw several suspects on the property stealing copper wire.

"One of the suspects brandished a handgun and the security guard fled the property to call police," according to the post. "The suspects were gone when officers arrived" and "several bundles of copper wire were recovered outside the facility."

Copper can typically be resold for between $2 and $4 per pound, and its theft can threaten safety and be costly to replace in infrastructure ("Police Arrest Three Suspects in Copper Theft," October 25, 2023).