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The Beach Reporter – June 24, 2004

Crime Watch (6/24) - Hermosa Beach

GRAND THEFT. A wristwatch was reportedly either stolen or went missing from the 300 block of 16th Street between May 15 and June 1. The victim reported his watch missing from his home that only he and his wife have access to.

SWINGING AT CHILDREN. A man reportedly swung a skateboard at two 10-year-old boys in the 1200 block of The Strand June 19 at 2 p.m. The boys know the suspect by sight because they have seen him at the city's skate park and last saw him there June 17. The skate park supervisor had him removed at this time because he acted as if he was mentally disturbed and smelled like he had not bathed in a while. The two boys were sitting at some benches on The Strand and saw the suspect run toward them swinging a skateboard that had no wheels or trucks. The boys ran away before the man ran closer to them.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT. A woman was arrested for reportedly stealing a diamond bracelet from a lost and found deposit at a restaurant in the 1100 block of The Strand at 3:42 p.m. June 6. According to police, the owner of the restaurant watched a woman enter the establishment and tell her that she had injured herself at the restaurant June 5. The owner observed the woman as she stood at the cashier counter by herself. She watched her walk behind the counter, open a drawer, take something out of it and put it in her pocket. The owner later looked into the drawer and noticed that a diamond bracelet that had been recovered earlier that day was now missing. Police approached the suspect in the parking lot and watched the suspect push something deeper into her pocket. An officer asked her what it was and she said it was nothing. The suspect then became agitated, got into her car and refused to get out. She finally did, and the officer searched the woman and found the bracelet. He asked her to describe it - silver with diamonds and purple stones - and she told him it was a diamond bracelet. He then asked her if it contained any colored stones and she said it did not. A witness walked over to the owner and asked what was going on with the police, and the owner told her the details of the suspected theft. The witness said she lost a bracelet, and police asked her to describe it and she did correctly. The bracelet was returned to the witness and the suspect was placed under police custody via a private person's arrest.

DRUG AND GUN BUST. On June 19 at about 6 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration stickers. During the officer's investigation he discovered that the suspect had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. When officers towed his vehicle subsequent to his arrest, they found methamphetamine, marijuana, two handguns and ammunition in the car. The suspect admitted to knowing that the drugs were in the car, but denied knowledge of the handguns.

The Beach Reporter – June 17, 2004

Crime Watch (6/17) - Hermosa Beach

AUTO BURGLARY. A tennis racket and parking pass were reportedly stolen from a car parked in the 100 block of Monterey Boulevard between 6 p.m. June 7 and 8 a.m. June 8. The victim told police he locked his car, returned to find the driver's side door ajar and noticed the items missing. The tennis racket is valued at $220.

ATTEMPTED AUTO THEFT. An unknown person reportedly tried to steal a car parked in a public parking garage in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue between 7 p.m. June 10, and 8:30 a.m. June 11. The victim told police he parked and locked his car on the second level of the garage, and returned to find his personal items strewn over the interior of the car. The victim then tried to start his car, and noticed the ignition cap had been removed and there was damage to the ignition. Police noticed pry marks on the driver's side door.

FORGERY. An unknown person reportedly forged a check of a Huntington Beach resident to purchase merchandise at a store in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway May 25 at 6:32 p.m. The person signed the check by forging the victim's name in the amount of $116.

GRAND THEFT. A bicycle was reportedly stolen from the 1100 block of Loma Drive between 10 p.m. June 11 and 7 a.m. June 12. The victim told police he locked and secured his bike to his car parked in his carport with a steel cable lock. The man does so on Friday nights to save time in the morning upon leaving for Saturday rides. The man returned to the car to find that the burglar(s) had cut the steel lock and stolen the bike valued at $1,500.

AUTO BURGLARY. A car parked in the 400 block of 28th Street was reportedly burglarized between June 11 and 12. The burglar(s) stole an entire home stereo system (four speakers, a CD player and receiver) from the unlocked sliding passenger door. The victim could not remember if the car was locked prior to the theft. The stereo equipment is valued at $640.

Redondo Beach

DATE RAPE. On June 13 at about 10 p.m., a parking enforcement officer approached a vehicle that was illegally parked in a "no parking" zone on the west side of The Esplanade. The officer noticed a nude male in the vehicle apparently having intercourse with a woman in the rear seat. The nude male opened the window and asked him what the problem was. The parking enforcement officer told him about the parking restrictions and noted that there was a strong alcohol odor wafting from the car. The male suspect drove away. Believing that he might be driving under the influence, the officer followed him. The suspect drove to the 200 block of Avenue I and parked in the parking lot of a closed business. The parking enforcement officer called police officers to the location to tell them what he saw. When officers approached the car, the male was again engaged in sexual intercourse with the woman. The woman appeared to be comatose and unaware of her situation or surroundings. Paramedics responded to assist and after further investigation, officers determined that the female victim did not have symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. When the effects of the unknown cause of her condition subsided, she related the circumstances of the night. She may have ingested an unknown drug without her knowledge. Officers arrested the male for suspicion of rape.

CAR CHASE. On June 12 at about 12:35 a.m., an officer saw a speeding vehicle traveling in excess of 60 mph on Inglewood Avenue. The driver of the speeding car apparently saw the officer. He shut off his lights, briefly drove the wrong way on Artesia Boulevard, and made a series of quick turns and high-speed accelerations in the residential neighborhoods of Redondo Beach and Lawndale while the officer pursued him. The suspect eventually stopped when his rear tire was turned inward with an apparent broken axle. He was taken into custody.

CAR CRASH. On June 12 at about 2 p.m., officers responded to a report of an injury car collision at 190th Street and Paulina Avenue. The collision occurred on the steep downward incline toward Pacific Coast Highway. The original officer who arrived parked his patrol vehicle on the downward slope below the involved vehicles. Soon after he arrived, one of the two involved vehicles dislodged from its point of rest from the collision, rolled into the police vehicle, and caused minor damage to both. Had the police vehicle not been parked in that position, it was likely that the vehicle would have rolled down the hill at high speed and struck other vehicles, structures and maybe even bystanders near the crowded Pacific Coast Highway intersection.

The Beach Reporter – June 10, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (6/10)

BATTERY. Police arrested a woman after she reportedly spit blood at an officer sitting in his patrol car near Hermosa Avenue and 10th Street May 31 at 2:17 a.m. According to the officer and his partner who were on patrol, the woman was standing in the middle of the street yelling profanities. The officers told the woman to be quiet, and the woman turned to the officers and screamed, "What?!" The officers told her again to quiet down because there were people sleeping. The woman then yelled, "There aren't any f**king people around here." The officers noticed the woman was bleeding from the mouth and spitting blood at them. The officers asked her to stop spitting blood when she spoke and the woman who was 5 feet away, leaned toward the car's open window and spit directly at the officer. The woman had to be physically restrained as she resisted arrest. The officer later asked her why she thought it was OK to spit blood and she replied, "Because you don't do your job."

BATTERY. A woman reportedly hit her husband in the face with a closed fist in their home in the 600 block of Third Street June 2 at 10 a.m. The woman attacked her husband and their two daughters, ages 17 and 20, had to pull her off him. The husband who reported the incident said his wife suffers from bipolar and she refuses to acknowledge the condition and with that, her medication. She stopped taking her medication about three years ago. The victim and his wife have been married for 26 years and he doesn't want to leave his wife. He just wants her to take her medication so she can resume a normal life. The man doesn't want to press charges but wanted to make police aware of the incident.

BATTERY. A man reportedly threw a desktop brass bell at a hotel manager in the 900 block of Aviation Boulevard June 7 at 2:55 p.m. According to the manager, the man, who is the former boyfriend of the hotel desk clerk, walked into the lobby and began arguing with his ex-girlfriend. The manager told him to stop yelling at the clerk, and the man turned and began yelling obscenities at the manager. The verbal altercation ensued between the manager and the man for several minutes. As the manager left, the man picked up the bell and threw it at the manager. The manager raised her arm and knocked the bell to the ground. The manger said if she had not blocked it, it would have hit her in the head. The manager suffered a small abrasion on her arm that did not require medical attention. The clerk witnessed the incident and the manager wants to press charges.

BURGLARY. Several construction tools were reportedly stolen from the 3300 block of The Strand between the hours of 1 p.m. June 2 and 6 a.m. June 4. The owner of the construction company working on a new house on The Strand locked and secured the stolen tools - two saws and three drills - in a large tan, metal storage box and also secured the stolen compressor with a metal chain. He returned to the site to find the items missing and the chain to the compressor cut. The victim believes that two employees who were recently fired may have been involved in the theft. He told police that one of his employees overheard the men say, "He'll be sorry, wait until they leave." The total value of the items stolen is about $2,600.

BURGLARY/VANDALISM. A person living at a rental property in the 100 block of Monterey Boulevard reportedly stole several items belonging to the landlord May 14. The landlord reported the incident May 31 and told police the tenant stole the items upon termination of the rental agreement. The items stolen were a microwave, vacuum and two dollies for a total value of $265. The suspect also reportedly put a 12-inch hole in the wall with damage estimated at $125.

The Beach Reporter – June 4, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (6/4)

DANCE-MANIA. Hermosa Beach Police reported illegal dancing at a bar in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue May 22 at 11:56 p.m. According to officers, about 50 patrons were dancing on the eastern side of the establishment where tables had been moved out of the way to create a dance floor. The DJ was playing hip-hop music and as soon as the police walked into the bar, the owner walked over to the DJ and told him something. This bar does not have a permit for a dance floor and as the police walked out the doorman said, "We are trying to do our best to stop people from moving the tables."

VANDALISM. Several businesses in the 400 block of Pacific Coast Highway were reportedly vandalized between 6 p.m. May 26 and 7:45 a.m. May 27. The vandal used a sharp tool to etch out writing in the business windows and doors. An owner of one of the businesses noticed the etching at the end of April or beginning of May. A group of employees working at the business locked and secured it May 26 and the owner returned the next day to find the damage.

ROBBERY. A man reportedly stole two DVDs from a grocery store in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway after being confronted by the store's manager May 23 at 10:13 a.m. The manager told police that she saw the suspect enter the store, walk up to the checkout line and pick up two DVDs. The man walked down the aisle and then walked back to the checkout line with only one DVD. The manager then told the man to leave the store after returning the DVDs. The suspect told her to get away and that he was going to buy cigarettes. She told him again to return the DVDs and she wouldn't have to call the police. The manager then reached in his pocket where she believed the DVD to be and the suspect said, "Do you want to touch something else?" The suspect then used his open hand to strike her hand, knocking it away. The manager then followed the suspect as he left the store and kept telling him to return the DVDs. The man became aggressive and told her to "Stay the f**k away from him." The man then climbed into a car driven by another man.

PROSTITUTION. A man reportedly offered another man money for sex who then performed sexual acts at his home in the 1100 block of First Street between 10 p.m. May 24 and 6 a.m. May 25. The reported prostitute told police that a man picked him up in Hollywood and agreed to pay him $50 to have sex with him at his house in Hermosa Beach. The prostitute agreed and then proceeded to have sexual intercourse with him. The prostitute later wanted to go home and the man refused to pay him so he left the house. Police later found $54 in his front pocket that he said he received from his mother. The reported client of the prostitute who lives in Hermosa Beach told police he wanted to have breakfast with the man and drove him down to his home. He said he didn't have sex with the man but that there was some sexual touching but that he never agreed to give him money in exchange for it. The man said he was preparing to drive the man back to Hollywood when he took $40 in cash and some credit cards from his valet. The man confronted the reported prostitute and retrieved the credit cards but failed to recover the cash.

The Beach Reporter – May 27, 2004        

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (5/27)

BATTERY. A man reportedly hit another man several times in the face in the unit block of Pier Avenue May 22 at 1:10 a.m. According to the victim, he and the suspect are friends and traveled into the city together. The two men patronized a bar together and drank together for several hours. The two men then left and walked into a parking lot, which one the victim cannot remember, and this is where the suspect punched the victim in the face for no reason. Police believed the victim to be heavily intoxicated and was bleeding from his forehead, mouth and nose. His nose was swollen and he was missing some upper teeth. The man said he and the suspect are good friends but he didn't know his phone number or address.

FAKE TRAVELER'S CHECKS. A person reportedly used a fake $100 traveler's check to purchase several items at a coffee shop in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway May 17 at 11:50 a.m. An employee approached the shop's manager to ask about the appearance of the check. The manager immediately noticed it was fake based on its faded appearance and the quality of the paper. The manger then called other store locations in the area to advise them of the scam. One store in Redondo Beach called back and reported seeing a person who fit the description of the suspect who used a check before they received the warning. The suspect bought a mug, a box of straws and coffee drinks totaling about $13.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the Social Security number of a woman who lives in the 1100 block of Second Street to open up a bank account in her name at an unknown time. The victim reported the crime May 19 after she attempted to add her name to her fianc/'s bank account and was told that her Social Security number was on alert status.

ROBBERY. A man reportedly snatched a woman's purse in the 800 block of Loma Drive May 15 between the hours of 1 and 1:30 a.m. The victim told police that she and her boyfriend were walking back home from the beach and 50 feet from her house the suspect ran up behind her and ripped her purse off her left shoulder. The woman pulled back in an attempt to hold onto it but she was unsuccessful. The suspect didn't say anything to the victim and fled the scene north on Loma Drive. The victim watched the suspect climb into a car waiting near 10th Street and Loma Drive, and leave.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of man living on The Strand to open a utility account some time between February 2002 and May 18. A representative from First Professional Bank (a bank used by physicians) informed the victim that they caught an employee distributing his personal information to unauthorized people. Shortly after, the victim noticed that several credit accounts were opened in his name that he did not open. Most of the accounts were cleared with the exception of a utility account in his name with the Nevada Power/Sierra Pacific Company in the amount of $320.

The Beach Reporter – May 20, 2004

Hermosa Beach- Crime Watch 5/20)

KNIFE ASSAULT. Two men reportedly attempted to assault a man in front of a restaurant on the pier plaza with a pocketknife May 8 at 8:08 p.m. Two officers responded to a call of a verbal altercation between two men and while responding was advised that one of the men was armed with a knife. Upon arrival, another officer had detained the first of two suspects who threatened the victim with the knife. The second suspect fled the scene southbound along The Strand after taking the knife from his friend, the first suspect. The victim told police he was eating at the restaurant with a friend and the first suspect was standing near their table. The suspect began shaking out his wet T-shirt, and drops of water hit the victim and his friend. The victim asked the suspect if he could move away from the table, and the suspect refused to and became hostile. The suspect then began cussing at the victim and challenged him to a fight. The victim told him to leave and the suspect responded by taking some food off the victim's table. The victim left the restaurant with his friend, and the first suspect and a second one approached the victim in front of the entrance. The first suspect pulled the knife out of his sock while the second suspect attempted to provoke a fight between the first suspect and the victim. The victim saw the knife and became frightened. The victim wanted to create some distance between himself and the suspect with the knife so he slapped him and then took three to four steps backward. The first suspect tried to advance but the second suspect grabbed the knife from him and ran off. Police later found and detained the second suspect after a witness at a nearby eatery spotted him.

VANDALISM. A business glass door in the 100 block of Pier Avenue was reportedly vandalized between 6:30 p.m. May 6 and 8:30 a.m. May 7. The owner locked and secured the business, and returned the following day to find the window scratched with what she believed to be gang writing. The estimated damage is $1,000.

SOUTH SCHOOL BURGLARY. A classroom located in the 400 block of Valley Drive was reportedly burglarized between 5:15 p.m. May 11 and noon May 12. The site's maintenance coordinator locked and secured the building, and was later notified by a custodian that one of the classroom's windows was broken. The burglar stole a VCR, a stereo and radio for a total value of $200. The estimated cost to repair the window is $100.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of a person living in the 400 block of Herondo Street to open up three different credit card accounts between April 27 and May 10. The victim opened her mail to find that a total of about $1,400 in charges were made to a Robinson's May credit card in her name. She also discovered statements from Macy's and Target that were opened on or about April 27. The Target statement totaled $615. The suspect(s) made purchases at shopping centers in several cities including Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks and Culver City. A total of $2,045 was charged in her name.

The Beach Reporter – May 13, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (5/13)

COMPUTER THEFT. A laptop computer valued at $1,500 was reportedly stolen from a residence in the first block of Sixth Street May 3 between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. The victim and his girlfriend went to sleep. When he woke up the next morning to leave for work he noticed the computer missing from his living room floor. He noticed the lock on the sliding glass door was not completely closed.

FRAUD. An unknown person reportedly used the credit card of a person living in Hermosa Beach to purchase a Western Union money order to buy a fax machine from the Web site eBay. The victim noticed a charge on her American Express card in the approximate amount of $209. The victim contested the charge and the company removed it from her account.

FORGERY. A man reportedly walked into a flower shop in the 500 block of Pacific Coast Highway and paid for his purchase with a $5 bill that he passed off as a $100 bill May 3 between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m. The suspect entered the flower shop, bought a bouquet for about $21 and handed the employee the bill. The employee asked if he had anything smaller and the man said, "No." The employee gave him about $78 in change. The employee later noticed the bill was actually $5 but looked like $100 with the exception of a $5 security thread, the Lincoln watermark and a faded number 5 in the left corner.

BEER BOTTLE ATTACK. A man reportedly hit another man in the head with a beer bottle and ran out of a bar located on the pier plaza May 6 between 12:40 and 12:44 a.m. The victim told police the incident was not an accident and it left him with a half-inch cut on the left side of his head. The second and third victims did not see the suspects but just felt a sudden splash of alcohol and shards of glass fall upon them. The second victim suffered two 1- to 1-1/2-inch cuts on her forehead and the third victim suffered cuts on her back near her right shoulder. A witness to the crime saw two men running through the bar, The bouncer grabbed one and so he grabbed the other. The witness told police he knows the suspect and is a regular at the bar. The witness thought he heard him tell him to let go of the man so he did. The witness believes this man was responsible for the crime.

STOLEN SURFBOARDS. Five Spyder surfboards valued at $2,000 were reportedly stolen from a garage in the 200 block of Manhattan Avenue May 5 between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. The man left his garage open while he worked in his house. He went into the garage and noticed that the cupboards storing the boards were open and the surfboards missing. The victim's name is imprinted on the boards.

Manhattan Beach                   

FALSE IDENTITY/POSSESSION. A man was arrested in the 1200 block of the beach May 2 at 4:32 p.m. for possessing a 5-inch knife and giving a false identity to a peace officer. The man was called to the location for reportedly waving the knife in a stabbing motion. Police reported he had an obvious bulge in the front pocket of his pants. The concealed knife was recovered. The man said the knife was for eating his food and for protection. A Department of Justice live scan revealed he had $25,000 in warrants for his arrest.

BATTERY. A boy riding his bicycle eastbound on Second Street from Redondo Avenue was reportedly beaten by an unknown male subject in the 1700 block of Second Street April 30 at 8:20 p.m. While the victim was riding his bicycle, a white Honda pulled up behind him and honked its horn. The victim tried to wave it around, but it kept honking and drove closer to his rear wheel. When the victim stopped at the next intersection, the subject jumped out of the vehicle, charged him and began throwing punches. The victim was knocked off his bicycle and pushed up against a wall. He said the subject hit him 15 times in the head and back until neighbors came outside. The subject reportedly said, "Don't mess with a gang," and drove off southbound on Aviation Boulevard. One witness observed the vehicle drive off. The victim was treated by paramedics at the scene and released. The victim's father transported him to a hospital for further treatment.

The Beach Reporter – May 6, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (5/6)

BATTERY. A man reportedly pushed his live-in girlfriend twice inside their home in the 500 block of 28th Street April 27 at 10:35 p.m. According to the victim, the suspect came home after he had been drinking and the couple began to argue about money. The victim's two children, who are not related to the suspect, were sleeping in the other room during the incident. The victim decided to cancel a cell phone account she was paying for for the suspect to use. She walked into the bedroom and called the cell phone company when the suspect tried to take the cell phone. The suspect then put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her onto the bed. He also pushed her in the kitchen. The man told police nothing happened and he did not touch his girlfriend.

GRAND THEFT. The doors of a 1996 Jeep Wrangler were reportedly stolen at a motor company in the 800 block of Pacific Coast Highway between 6 p.m. April 25 and 8:28 a.m. April 26. The manager of the business arrived and noticed the car doors missing. The car was for sale and parked in the southeast corner of the car lot. The doors were removed at the hinges.

GRAND THEFT. The doors of a 2003 Jeep Wrangler were reportedly stolen from the 700 block of 16th Street between 11 p.m. April 25 and 7:30 a.m. April 26. The victim parked and locked his car and returned to find the doors stolen.

VANDALISM. A van parked in the 500 block of Pine Street was reportedly vandalized between 12:30 and 10:30 a.m. April 30. The victim told police he had just moved into Hermosa Beach and unloaded the contents inside the van in front of his new residence. The victim told police he has not met anyone in town yet nor does he know who could have done this.

GARAGE BURGLARY. A garage on Monterey Boulevard was reportedly burglarized between 5 p.m. April 23 and 9:30 a.m. April 28. The victim, who is the owner of the property, shares a garage with the renter and discovered the padlock to the garage had been pried open. Several computer items valued at $500 were stolen while no property belonging to the renter was taken.

The Beach Reporter – April 29, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/29)

FORGERY. An unknown person reportedly forged and cashed four personal checks of a local woman at a bank in the first block of Pier Avenue between 2:14 p.m. April 4 and April 14 for a total amount of about $76,000. The victim's assistant notified her, and told her that the checks had been written and all cleared through the account. The victim visited the bank where a customer service representative told her that four checks were cashed and two others were attempted but refused. The victim was given copies of the checks and they were not checks she had for that account. She provided police with both copies. The victim does not know the name of the person(s) on the check nor has she ever done business with them.

IDENTIFY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of a person living in the 800 block of Cypress Avenue to open up a credit account at Circuit City Dec. 27. The victim reported the crime April 20 after she received several notices in the mail that rejected her request for lines of credit. The victim also received a Visa statement for a credit card account she did not open. The account opened at Circuit City was for a line of credit available the day it was opened for a charged amount of about $2,983.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. A club in the 1000 block of Hermosa Avenue was reportedly the site of an attempted burglary April 17 between 4:20 and 4:27 a.m. According to police, the manager received a call from the club's security company about the attempted break-in, advising him that the alarm was activated. The manager met with police at the club a few minutes later and the next morning he noticed pry marks on the entrance to the club's adjacent restaurant. It appeared the burglar(s) scaled the wall and tried to gain entry via a patio door that had pry marks on it, a result of the use of either a screwdriver or crowbar.

VANDALISM. A business in the 400 block of Pacific Coast Highway was reportedly vandalized between midnight April 17 and 11 a.m. April 19. The manager reported to work to find two glass windows of the business etched with writing made by some kind of sharp tool.

THEFT. A cell phone and makeup bag was reportedly stolen at an unknown time and location April 18 from an unlocked car. The victim later received a text message, asking her to call the number listed in the message. She called, a man answered and told her he was the father of a girl who is dating whom he believes to be the suspect. The man also added that the suspect is probably in jail and is responsible for the theft of the phone.

The Beach Reporter – April 22, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/22)

ASSAULT. An unknown person struck a woman in the head with an unknown object as she walked east on Artesia Boulevard near Pacific Coast Highway some time between 6 p.m. April 9 and 5:38 a.m. April 10. The victim told police she was walking with a friend just after eating at a nearby restaurant when she was hit. She did not see anything or anyone before she was hit in the head and lost consciousness. She heard her friend scream whom she believes must have run way from the scene. The victim did not remember when or where she regained consciousness and the last thing she remembers is wandering around a parking lot of a business on the northeast corner of PCH and Artesia Boulevard. The victim complained of dizziness, pain in the left eye and cheek, and a throbbing pain along the left side of her head. The women could not see out of her left eye and her purse was missing. Police noticed severe swelling and bruising around her left eye, and paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital for treatment.

LAUNDROMAT BURGLARY. A laundry in the 200 block of Pacific Coast Highway was reportedly burglarized April 11, between the hours of 6 and 8:45 a.m. A total of $1,750 in coins and paper money was missing from the machines at the business. According to police, a customer arrived at the business to do his laundry and attempted to use one of the coin machines. He noticed the front door to the machine open with loose quarters over the floor. The owner told police a cleaning crew locks the business in the evening and the doors automatically open at 6 a.m. each morning. The business was burglarized in the past and since then, the owner has installed more security devices in the machines. One of two brass hoppers in the machines each containing $800 in quarters was missing while the other one remained with just a few quarters in it. Both hoppers containing paper money were still intact but contained no money. The burglar(s) also raided the vending machines each for a loss of $25.

TRESPASSING/VANDALISM. A house for rent in the 1200 block of Seventh Street was reportedly vandalized after an unknown person(s) trespassed between an unknown time April 4 and 4:30 p.m. April 8. The front door of the house was locked while the rear sliding door was left unlocked. Several people, including the owner, checked on the house and showed it to potential renters. The owner arrived at the location and discovered damage from cigarettes, the plumbing was stopped up and there was trash left throughout the house. A large container of Equal sweetener was found with packets spread in the house. The owner also found broken glass, smoking pipes, beer bottles and cigarettes. Police found a notebook with several names written in it and a checkbook. One of the names in the notebook was of a local neighbor who admitted to police to entering the house to use the bathroom. The neighbors noticed heavy traffic to and from the house the weekend prior to the report.

BREAK-IN. A man reportedly broke into a home by knocking down its door and ran away after the owner confronted him inside the residence March 28 at 9:30 a.m. The victim told police he awoke to the ringing of the doorbell, got dressed and tried to answer the door as the suspect knocked it down using bodily force. The suspect, who was face to face with the victim, said, "Oh, s**t," and fled the scene. The victim gave chase but eventually lost sight of the suspect.

JEEP WRANGLER THEFTS. The passenger and driver-side doors of five Jeep Wranglers parked around town were reportedly stolen between April 9 and April 14. Police reported five different incidents where owners of the cars returned to them to find both of their doors missing, apparently stolen by the removal of the door pins. The doors of a 1997 Jeep at Sixth Street and Palm were stolen between the hours of 2:30 p.m. April 9 and 10:40 a.m. April 10. A 2004 and 1998 Jeep were burglarized in a parking garage in the 400 block of Second Street between April 10 and 14, and April 9 and 10, respectively. A 1995 model was reportedly burglarized in the 1000 block of Prospect Avenue and a 1997 model was reportedly burglarized in the 400 block of 28th Street between April 9 and 10.

The Beach Reporter – April 15, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/15)       

BATTERY. A man reportedly hit another man in the face in the first block of 14th Street after he left a bar in the area March 14 at 1:30 a.m. The victim reported the crime April 1. He told police the suspect walked up to him and hit him with a closed fist, knocking out his front tooth. The suspect may have been with four other subjects, all of whom fled the scene after the incident.

FORGERY. A unknown person reportedly wrote out fictitious checks to a grocery store using the identity of a woman in the 1100 block of 17th Street, between March 21 and April 1. The victim told police she received a bill in the mail from Ralphs grocery store for about $279 and a bill from a collection agency for an estimated $113. The woman telephoned both companies and told them she didn't make such purchases. An unknown person also used the woman's Best Buy credit card to purchase merchandise at the store totaling $1,500. The suspect wrote out checks that don't exist in the victim's checking account.

GRAND THEFT. Three patio chairs were reportedly stolen from a home in the 800 block of 34th Street between 6 p.m. April 5 and 8 a.m. April 6. The victim noticed the chairs, valued at $600, missing and filed the report.

VANDALISM. A glass door to a business in the 400 block of Pacific Coast Highway was reportedly vandalized between 6 p.m. April 2 and 9 a.m. April 5. The owner told police he closed and locked the business and when he returned he found the letters "N, E, U, S" etched on it. The estimated damage is about $2,500. Officers who responded to the area discovered similar types of vandalism at 12 other businesses on PCH.

TRESPASSER ARRESTED. Police arrested a man for trespassing who apparently made his way into a vacant hotel room in the 1300 block of The Strand April 5 at 7:15 a.m. The hotel's chief engineer was performing his duties when he noticed the man lying on the couch in the vacant room with a large machete by his side. The employee verified that the room was vacant and he called police. The man was wearing a hotel bathrobe when police arrested him. Officers later discovered that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest and found a small amount of marijuana on him.

Redondo Beach

PIZZA DELIVERY ROBBERY. On April 11 at about 9:50 p.m., a Domino's Pizza delivery person made a delivery in the 1200 block of Amethyst Street. As he returned to his car, a male suspect wearing a black stocking cap and a red, yellow and white shirt approached and pointed a gun at his chest. The suspect demanded the victim's money and watch. The suspect was last seen running eastbound on Beryl to Harkness Lane. The victim did not see a vehicle. There were robberies in Hermosa Beach and Torrance on the same evening with similar descriptions and methods of operation. Anyone with information about this case should call the Redondo Beach Police Department at 379-2477, Ext. 2714.

The Beach Reporter – April 8, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/8)

VANDALISM. Two windows of a business located in the 1200 block of Hermosa Avenue were reportedly vandalized between 6 p.m. March 27 and 8 a.m. March 29. The manager told police she arrived at work and noticed that the windows had writing on them that had been scratched on with an unknown tool. The estimated damage is $5,000.

BAR ARREST. A woman was arrested inside a bar on the pier plaza for suspicion for possession of alcohol as a minor and possession of a fraudulent identification March 18 at 11:55 p.m. Two officers conducted a routine bar check inside the establishment and noticed the woman who appeared to be under the age of 21. One of the officers made eye contact with the woman who then stated to her friend nearby, "Oh s**t, the cops." The officer asked for her identification and she presented him with a New Jersey driver's license. He noticed the picture did not match that of the woman and so he called in the license number to dispatch which found no match of the number with the New Jersey DMV system. The officer then asked for her real identification and the woman insisted the New Jersey license was hers. Officers then placed her under arrest and once at the station the woman presented her real identification, which was a Virginia driver's license with her real name and date of birth. The officer then booked her for another charge - giving false information to a peace officer.

IDENTITY THEFT. The Social Security number of a woman living in Hermosa Beach was used to open two phone accounts. The woman reported the crimes March 21. She told police she received a letter in the mail from a collection agency, demanding that she pay her debt of a phone bill from Sprint that was in her name in the amount of $421. The account was last active in 2000. The woman then purchased her credit report and noticed another account with SBC that had been referred to a collection agency. The account was last active in 2001. The report said she owed $82 but the collection agency told her the debt was more than $600. She told police this has happened in the past when in 1995 someone opened a telephone account in her name, which was later settled in 1998. She believes someone had access to her Social Security number while she was a student at USC since the number was used on her student identification card.

THEFT. A car was burglarized in the 600 block of First Place between 8 p.m. March 29 and 8:30 a.m. March 30. The victim told police she parked her car in the driveway and couldn't remember if she had locked it. She returned to find the car's driver's door ajar. The burglar(s) had apparently rummaged through the car and stole a digital recorder valued at $140.

BAD MORNING. A man returned to his home in the 800 block of Cypress Avenue after being in police custody to find that one of his art drawings that he was in the progress of completing had been vandalized March 31 between the hours of 7 and 8:38 a.m. The drawing was on an easel located in his bedroom and the words "totally ruined" had been smudged in the center of the drawing. The man said he cannot repair the damage and estimated the value at $300. The victim feels his girlfriend committed the crime to get back at him for being in police custody.

The Beach Reporter – April 1, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/1)

GRAND THEFT. A laptop computer and a bag of clothing were reportedly stolen from the first block of 16th Street, between 8 and 11 a.m. March 20. The victim told police he was in the process of moving out of his residence on 16th Street and into a new residence on Bayview Drive. The doors and windows of the old residence were open because workers were painting the interior. The victim noticed the items missing from his bedroom. The estimated loss is $3,500.

TOOLS STOLEN. Numerous items were reportedly stolen from a construction business in the 1200 block of Prospect, between March 6 and 7. Police asked the office manager, who filed the report, why she waited so long and she told police the company wanted to keep a low profile regarding the thefts in fear of retaliation. The company recently fired three employees and they could have possibly committed the thefts. The manager said the thief(s) must have had a key to steal the tools which were secured in toolboxes in company cars and included two cutters, six saws and one leveler all valued at approximately $10,400.

COFFEE BURNS. A woman reportedly threw a hot cup of coffee at her roommate in their residence in the 500 block of 25th Street March 26 at approximately 2:13 a.m. The victim and suspect both said the victim came home and walked into the bathroom to talk with the suspect. The talk then escalated to an argument. The suspect said the victim pulled her hair and so she threw her coffee at the victim in self-defense. However, the victim said she threw the coffee unprovoked during the argument. Paramedics evaluated the burns which they determined were minor and said could be treated with cold water.

CAR BURGLARY. A laptop computer, cell phone and wallet were reportedly stolen from an unlocked car parked in a driveway in the 1100 block of Sixth Street between 11:45 p.m. March 18 and 8:45 a.m. March 19. The woman told police she returned to her car and noticed the items missing. She thought the burglar(s) also stole her wallet, which she found later in her trunk after she cancelled all of her credit cards. The victim told police that when she returned to her residence in her car she noticed three male teen-agers sitting in a light, possibly older model Honda Accord and she believes they were casing the area. The estimated loss of the items stolen is $2,500.

THE CLUB. A man was reportedly hit in the face with a small, black club by another man near the southwest corner of Pier Avenue and Bayview Drive March 28 at 1:53 a.m. An officer observed what he believed to be a fight and called for assistance at the scene. Police contacted the witness to the incident who pointed to the victim who was lying on his left side with his stomach against a light pole. The witness told police the victim was walking alongside him east on Pier Avenue when the suspect, walking west on Pier Avenue, approached the victim and asked, "Is your buddy all right? Is your buddy all right?" Before the victim could respond, the suspect hit him in the face with a short black club the witness described as looking like a police baton but only shorter. The suspect then ran away and out of sight of the witness. Police noticed the victim bleeding from the nose and mouth, and asked if he could hear or if he knew his name. The victim seemed very disoriented and he was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Beach Reporter – March 25, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/25)

STOLEN BOOZE. A man was arrested and charged with burglary and violating his parole after reportedly stealing two cans of alcohol from a grocery store in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway March 15 at 2:42 p.m. Police responded to a burglary call at the store and stopped a man who matched the description near the location. The store manager told police she saw the man walk down the cooler aisle, open a cooler door, reach in and take two cans of The Club drink. He then placed them in a plastic bag he had in his possession. The manager said she lost sight of him for a moment and then saw him enter a checkout lane where he paid for a 16-ounce bottle of beer. The man never took the two cans of alcohol out of the bag to pay for them. The manager watched him exit the store and then called police. The man violated his parole that was in place for theft convictions.

VANDALISM. Police reportedly informed a woman living in the 2100 block of Monterey Boulevard that her 2000 Mercedes had been vandalized from inside her garage between March 12 at 8 p.m., and March 13 at 3 a.m. The woman told police she returned home from a dinner party and left the car in the garage. At 3 a.m., police knocked on her door to inform her that an unknown person had broken one of her windows and chipped her windshield. The damage was estimated at $375.

BIKINI THEFT. A woman reportedly stole a bathing suit from a store in the 1100 block of Hermosa Avenue March 10 at 4:20 p.m. The suspect entered the store with another female and looked at different items of clothing. She then tried on a bikini and came out of the dressing room holding the hanger with the bikini draped over it. She left the store and the employee then noticed the swimsuit missing from the hanger. The employee walked outside the store to see if she could spot the suspect. About five minutes later, the employee saw the suspect again and confronted her outside the store. The suspect said she would pay for the bikini and offered to write a check. A male suspect driving a car told the suspect to get inside and she did. The employee obtained the car's license plate number before it left the area.

IDENTITY THEFT. The credit card of a woman living in the 1100 block of 15th Street was reportedly fraudulently used between March 4 and 10. The woman checked her credit card account via the Internet and discovered several purchases she did not make. She told police she had not used the credit card in a while and placed it in a glass in her kitchen along with a MasterCard. There were fraudulent charges made to El Pollo Loco and Albertsons. The woman told police two men were inside her home installing hardwood floors and would have had access to the cards that were in plain view.

HOME SWEET HOME. A woman reportedly suffered a laceration above her right eye after being hit in the head by a door her boyfriend kicked in, in the 300 block of Eighth Street March 5 at 6 p.m. The victim told police she returned to the residence she shared with her boyfriend to pick up some belongings. The suspect came to the bedroom and knocked on the door. She opened it, told him she didn't want to speak with him and closed it again. The suspect then kicked in the door, which hit the woman in the head. The suspect told police the victim came home to change for a job interview. The suspect approached her and wanted to talk about her possibly moving out. The victim became upset and closed the door on the suspect who admitted to then kicking in the door. The victim drove herself to the hospital where she received nine stitches. Police noticed a bandage on the suspect's left wrist and he told police he cut it with a razor blade in a hotel room in Redondo Beach after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

The Beach Reporter – March 18, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/18)

ROBBERY. A man reportedly robbed a bank in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway March 12 between 5:32 and 5:37 p.m. According to police, the man, who was wearing a bicycle outfit, walked into the bank and up to the teller. He presented the teller with a passport, which the teller stated did not look like him. The amount of $50,000 was written on it and the man pointed to the writing and demanded the money. The teller gave him a red dye pack containing $80 in 20s, along with $745 in other denominations. The man then ran out of the bank and left behind a list of items from PCH to 14th Street, including a bike, helmet, the dye pack, pair of glasses and a backpack.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly purchased prescriptions over the Internet by using the personal information of a man living in the 200 block of 34th Street March 4. The man told police he checked his banking account over the Internet and noticed a check drawn from his account in the amount of $139 to a pharmacy company through the Internet.

GRAND THEFT. A purse was reportedly stolen from a car parked in a garage in the 800 block of Ninth Street between 8 p.m. March 9 and 4:45 a.m. March 10. The victim told police she parked her car in the garage with her purse inside, and left the doors unlocked and the driver's side window partially open. She returned to her car to find the passenger's side window smashed and her purse missing. She said her 16-year-old son had some friends over at the time and one of them was unknown to her. The burglar(s) stole her purse and wallet valued at $350 and $85, respectively, along with $30 in cash.

BATTERY. A group of women reportedly assaulted another woman waiting in line to get inside a bar on the pier plaza March 9 at 9:30 p.m. The victim told police one of the suspects she knew started a verbal argument with her, and then began to grab her hair and punch her with a closed fist. Two other women joined in and knocked the victim to the ground. The victim was finally able to get away and her friends led her away from the area. The woman filed a police report at a later time. Officers noticed that the area near her eye was red and bruised, and they also noticed scratches to her neck and left foot.

The Beach Reporter – March 11, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/11)

BATTERY. A husband and wife reportedly got into a verbal argument that escalated to a physical confrontation inside their home in the 500 block of Bayview March 4 at 8 a.m. According to the woman, her husband lunged at her with a skateboard in his hands and pushed it into her upper left shoulder. The victim then contacted her daughter in Florida who then reported the incident to police. The husband told police that he and his wife got into a verbal argument and she said, "I know people who can take you out." The husband denied any physical confrontation and police noticed no injury or redness to the woman's shoulder.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person used the personal information of a woman living in the 2400 block of Prospect Avenue to open up two credit card accounts at Macy's and Target between Feb. 4 and March 4. The victim told police she received the Macy's card in the mail and then received a credit card from Target. She contacted the companies and a representative told her someone used her date of birth and Social Security number to obtain the accounts which gave the suspect(s) instant credit of $600 at Macy's and $1,400 at Target.

BURGLARY. A man attempting to burglarize a business in the 200 block of Pier Avenue was reportedly arrested March 3 at 5:02 a.m. According to police, the suspect kicked open the door with just enough space so he could crawl into the business and slip inside. Officers responded to the alarm and arrived at the scene. One of the officers could hear someone inside and ordered the person to come outside. Police brandished their firearms and the man crawled out who was then handcuffed.

CAR BURGLARY. A car parked in the 600 block of Cypress Avenue was reportedly burglarized March 2 at 11 p.m. The victim told police he parked his car in front of his place of employment and locked the doors but left the driver's side window partially open due to it being damaged. The victim left work and returned to the car to find the driver's side door open and the suspect leaning over the passenger's compartment. The suspect looked at the victim who recognized him. The suspect then picked up a beer he was drinking and the victim's mask worn to glaze surfboards. and ran north on Cypress Avenue. The victim chased the suspect until he got into a car waiting for him on the street. The victim recognized the suspect who had tried selling items to his place of employment on previous occasions. He also knows the suspect's father who works at a nearby business and last saw the suspect a week prior to the crime. The suspect reportedly stole a ring, the mask and CDs all valued at $1,725.

IDENTITY THEFT. The personal information of a man living in the 1300 block of Sunset Drive was reportedly used to open credit card accounts at Target and Mervyn's. The incident was reported Feb. 29 at 7:46 p.m. The victim talked to a representative of a credit bureau who said the suspect opened the account by using the victim driver's license number, and spent $300 at Target and $200 at Mervyn's.

The Beach Reporter – March 4, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/4)

BATTERY. A man was arrested for reportedly flicking a lit cigarette at a woman inside a bar located on the pier plaza Feb. 25 just before midnight. The victim told police she was working inside the bar as a promotional model for Heineken beer when she noticed the suspect lifting the skirt of one of her co-workers. She felt the man was being inappropriate so she approached him and told him to stop. The victim told police the man laughed, continued to lift the co-worker's skirt and taunted the victim. The victim then told him to stop again and the suspect then flicked his cigarette at the woman, which hit her on the neck. She felt her neck burn and she then contacted police. An officer escorted her into the bar where she identified the man. The suspect began to walk rapidly toward one of the exits, and officers caught up to him and asked him if he would step outside to discuss the matter. The man cooperated until he reached the exit and he began to pull away from the grasp of officers. Police placed the man's arms in a wristlock and handcuffed him. The woman, who suffered a small burn mark the size of a pencil erasure, put the man under private persons' arrest. On the way to the car, the suspect said, "I threw it at her because she was bugging the f***ing s**t out of me."

VANDALISM. A home in the 400 block of Second Street was reportedly vandalized Feb. 24 around midnight. The victim noticed graffiti on his garage door flange and called police. Officers also noticed graffiti written in green ink on a gutter drain with the same kind of markings on a house nearby. The victim suspects a resident who lives in a nearby condominium complex.

HOTEL RENDEZVOUS. An ATM/credit card was fraudulently used to purchase a hotel room in the 900 block of Aviation Boulevard between 9:41 p.m. Feb. 23 and 3 p.m. Feb. 25. According to the victim, she received a phone call from her banking institution about some unusual activity on her account from hotels.com and she immediately closed the account. According to an employee at the hotel, two women checked into the room and the paperwork showed one of the suspect's identification as being issued in Nevada. The hotel clerk remembers both women and the one who presented identification was what she described as "manly."

BURGLARY. A home in the 2300 block of The Strand was reportedly burglarized between 2 p.m. Jan. 27 and 9 a.m. Feb. 27. A contractor, working on the vacant home, who is employed by the owner, noticed a refrigerator, kitchen cabinets and a safe missing from the home, called the owner and then called police. Police believe the suspect gained entry into the home by removing a hinge from the upstairs patio door and used an unknown tool to remove the safe that was bolted to the kitchen floor. The empty safe, cabinets and refrigerator are valued at $4,000.

The Beach Reporter - February 26, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/26)

BATTERY. A man was arrested after being involved in a fight and attempting to run over two police officers with his car in the first block of 13th Court between the hours of 1:55 and 2 a.m. Feb. 20. Witnesses to the fight that involved the victim with eight other people flagged down police on foot patrol. One of the suspects left the scene in a blue truck and was later stopped by officers. A witness positively identified the driver as one of the men who hit the victim who suffered a laceration to his head.

THEFT. The ATM card of a woman living in Hermosa Beach was illegally used without her consent between Jan. 12 and Feb. 6. The victim told police she lost her ATM card but did not report it missing because she lost it a month ago and eventually found it. She checked her account over the Internet and noticed several transactions she did not make. The victim suspects her 19-year-old nephew or one of his friends of taking and using the card. Her nephew has access to her house and entered her residence a couple of weeks ago at around 2 a.m. The victim's purse that contained the card was in plain view during this time. The amount of illegal charges totaled about $996.

GRAND THEFT. Numerous tools were reportedly stolen from a construction site in the 600 block of Gould Avenue between 1 p.m. Feb. 19, and 9 a.m. Feb. 20. The suspect(s) used a tool to disable the padlocks and stole two drills, a saw and four ladders for a total value of about $1,200.

BEER THEFT. Two men reportedly stole a 30-pack of beer from a grocery store in the 2500 block of Pacific Coast Highway Feb. 13 at 3:54 p.m. The store's manager told police he was unloading merchandise from a loading dock when he confronted the men in the store's receiving station who had the beer in their possession. They asked the manager where the restroom was and he told them they were located at the front of the store. He told the two suspects the receiving station and the merchandise in it was off limits to customers. He then watched as the men left the area and wandered around the store. He later witnessed the two men walk back into the receiving area, and he then realized he left the receiving door open and knew the two men were in the process of stealing the beer. The men ran out of the back of the store and the manager chased them east on Artesia and then south onto Prospect. One of the suspects dropped the beer and kept on running while the manager stopped chasing them once they turned onto 21st Street.

BEER BOTTLE FIGHT. A man reportedly sustained a broken nose and cuts to his face after a man hit him in the face with a beer bottle in a bar in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue Feb. 14 at 11:55 p.m. According to witnesses, the victim and a woman got into an argument that continued to escalate. A group of men (between five and eight) stepped in front of the man and one of them said, "Swallow this," and hit him with the beer bottle. The victim does not remember much after the attack since he was knocked to the ground. The victim's friends saw the incident, and although he is not sure who actually threw the bottle, he did witness four or five of the men punch the victim while lying on the ground. The doorman eventually broke up the fight.

The Beach Reporter - February 19, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/19)

VANDALISM. Police arrested a man who reportedly vandalized a car parked near Eighth Street and Manhattan Avenue Feb. 8 at 1:06 a.m. According to witnesses, the suspect began to repeatedly slam his body against the car, and ended his outburst by kicking the driver's side mirror several times until it broke off and hung from its base.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of a couple living in Hermosa Beach to open a Verizon Wireless account. The victims reported the crime Jan. 31 after they completed a credit check and noticed that the account had been in collection since Nov. 3 in the amount of $419.

PCH THEFT. A business storage room located in the 300 block of Pacific Coast Highway was reportedly burglarized between an unknown time and date, and Feb. 10. The victim and her husband own the business, which consists of a large garage and a storage room. The victims used the storage room to stow away some of their personal belongings. The victim's husband remembered accessing the room about 2-1/2 months ago. The burglar(s) took numerous items, including a hockey set, Christmas ornaments, fishing and horseback riding equipment, and luggage. The total value of the items stolen is about $5,600.

CAR BURGLARY. A car parked in the 300 block of Hopkins Avenue was reportedly burglarized between 11:30 p.m. Feb. 5 and 7 a.m. Feb. 6. The victim told police she parked the car on the street in front of her residence and returned to find the driver's side window smashed. She contacted her boyfriend who looked inside the car and noticed the radio, his cell phone and a toolbox missing for a total value of $300. He called his long distance carrier to close the account and the representative told him two calls were made between 12:30 and 1 a.m the night of the burglary. He told police he was asleep at the time the calls were made and will forward the numbers to officers once he receives his bill. He also noticed pry marks on the dash where the radio was missing.

BATTERY. A man was reportedly assaulted by a group of men, one of whom was later arrested, in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue Jan. 25 at 1:22 a.m. Several people in the area flagged down officers who responded to the fight that ended upon their arrival. The victim told police between three and four men attacked him, and began hitting him in the face and back of the head with closed fists. An officer detained one man in the immediate area, and the victim eventually positively identified him as one of the men who attacked him and placed him under a private person's arrest. Paramedics treated the victim and told him he needed stitches above his right eye. Police could not find any witnesses to the attack.

The Beach Reporter - February 12, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/12)

PHONE SCAM. A man living in the 200 block of Prospect Avenue was reportedly scammed out of nearly $5,000 between July 1 and Jan. 23. According to the victim, an unknown person called him at his home and told him he had just won $1.5 million from a lottery contest. The suspect said he had to send money in order for the company to process the winnings. The man sent two checks, one for $3,000 and one for $1,987 to an unknown address in London, England. The company returned the checks instructing that the victim leave the memo line on the checks blank. The man resubmitted a set of new checks, which were later cashed. The victim has attempted to contact the company but only gets a recording. On Jan. 13, the victim received another call from a person describing a similar scenario. The person told the victim he had won $20 million. The victim told the person he had no money and the representative said a loan would be made out to him. The victim later received a letter in the mail from First State Bank that had no return address. He received a check wrapped in newspaper clippings made out to him in the amount of $20,000. The instructions in the letter advised the victim to contact the company once he received the check. However, the victim was unable to contact anyone. The victim became suspicious when he noticed the envelope was postmarked in Canada but the bank check was supposedly based in Nebraska. Police advised the man to forward future mailings to the department and close his bank account.

BURGLARY. An unknown person reportedly entered an unlocked garage in the 800 block of Prospect Avenue Feb. 3 between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. and stole an electric scooter. The scooter is one to accommodate a passenger who is sitting down and belongs to the victim's son. It is valued at $200.

EBAY THEFT. A man living in the 800 block of Loma Drive reportedly purchased Nautilus speakers in the amount of $4,451 between Jan. 30 and 31 over the Internet Web site eBay and never received the merchandise. The victim told police he won the live Internet auction for the speakers and the seller told him to wire the money to his online account. The victim made the transfer and soon after, received an e-mail from an eBay representative informing him there was a compromise with the seller's information and advised him not to send the seller any more money. The victim tried to cancel the wire transfer but it was too late and he has yet to receive the merchandise.

BURGLARY. A home in the 2200 block of Hillcrest Drive was reportedly burglarized between 11 p.m. Feb. 1 and 8 a.m. Feb. 2. The victim told police he went to sleep for the evening in his bedroom located on the second level of the house. He woke up the next day and noticed his laptop computer missing from his dining room table located on the bottom level of his residence. He also noticed his digital camera missing from his ground-level office. The victim told police the burglar most likely entered from a sliding glass door he left unlocked and slightly open so his dog could access the backyard.

THREATENING PHONE CALLS. A woman who is the mother of a man currently in jail awaiting trial for attempted murder reportedly received a series of phone calls from a man who is the co-defendant in the case between 11 a.m. Feb. 3 and 11 a.m. Feb. 4. The suspect's trial is set for later this month and the man called the victim at her place of business on each day. The victim knew it was the suspect in question because she recognized his voice. He said she shouldn't "say anything stupid." He also inquired into the location of his co-defendant who is the victim's son and recently moved to a different cellblock. The suspect also said he plans to fight the charges and reiterated that the victim should not say anything stupid. The victim is concerned for her son's safety.

The Beach Reporter - January 29, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/29)

FRAUD. An unknown person reportedly used the credit card number and the checking account number of a person living on Longfellow Avenue to buy goods between Dec. 3 and Jan. 4. The victim told police she never received her bank statement for the month of November that contained all of her cancelled and posted checks with her signature on them and her credit card payments. The victim filed a report regarding the missing statement. In December, she received her credit card statement and noticed two charges she didn't make. She contacted the credit company that advised her of a third charge similar in nature. She told the representative that those charges didn't belong to her and cancelled the card. On Jan. 4, the victim contacted her bank regarding a charge to Time Warner Cable for an account that doesn't belong to her. She also noticed two checks the bank honored that she didn't write. The woman closed her bank account immediately.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of a man living on Gould Avenue to open a wireless phone account Dec. 15. The man reported the theft Jan. 14 after receiving a bill in the mail from AT&T Wireless in the amount of about $78. A representative for the company told him the account was opened using his name, current address and Social Security number.

GRAND THEFT. A luggage cart valued at $1,500 was reportedly stolen from a hotel in the 1300 block of The Strand between the hours of 2 and 3 a.m. Jan. 21. An employee told police he arrived at work and noticed the cart missing. A homeless person told the employee he saw four juveniles riding around in it earlier that morning.

BATTERY. A woman reportedly hit another woman on the face with a closed fist inside a bar located on pier plaza Jan. 23 at 1:23 a.m. According to witnesses, the suspect walked up to the victim, began yelling at her and then hit her in the face. The victim refused to retaliate and the establishment's bouncers separated the two women. The victim put the suspect under a private person's arrest.

The Beach Reporter - January 22, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/22)

HOME BURGLARY. A home in the 200 block of Manhattan Avenue was reportedly burglarized between Sept. 30 and Jan. 11. According to police, the victim reported the crime Jan. 15. The burglar(s) stole four deep-sea fishing poles and 14 deep-sea fishing reels, all totaling about $4,400. The burglar stole the items from both the victim's bedroom and garage. Police found no evidence of forced entry. The victim told police he hired a painter from Sept. 30 through Oct. 25 who worked on the victim's house while he wasn't at home.

GRAND THEFT. A car was reportedly burglarized in the 500 block of Third Street between 4:30 p.m. Jan. 14, and 8 a.m. Jan. 15. The victim parked his Ford F-350 in his driveway and left it unlocked. He later returned and noticed his glove box open. The burglar(s) stole a digital camera and a laptop computer.

HOME BURGLARY. A home in the 800 block of Eighth Street was reportedly burglarized between 10 p.m. Jan. 7 and 5:30 p.m. Jan. 8. According to police, the burglar(s) stole two Gibson electric guitars belonging to two different victims from the home with a total value of $2,500. One of the victims told police he played his guitar and then put it away in its case in his bedroom. He later returned and noticed it missing. His roommate also noticed his guitar missing. Police noticed no forced entry, and the victims told officers the home's doors were dead-bolted and the windows were secure with wooden slats in their sills. They told police it was the third burglary to occur in their home in the last several months. The victims have no evidence but suspect their neighbor's boyfriend of the crimes. They saw their neighbor and her boyfriend standing outside the location weeks before the most recent theft. One of the victims also noticed on Monday or Tuesday before the theft that the wooden dowel missing from the window in the bathroom, which is a window a person can access from outside, was missing. After the victims discovered their guitars missing, the wooden dowel was back in the window.

FORGERY. The ex-wife of a man living in the 2600 block of The Strand reportedly fraudulently cashed two checks between Nov. 13 and Dec. 23 in the amount of $2,000. The victim reported the incident Jan. 13. On Jan. 5, the victim checked his account and noticed there was less money in it. He contacted the bank and a representative told him two checks from his account were written to the suspect in the amount of $1,000 each. The victim received copies of the checks and closed the account. He then contacted his ex-wife and told her he wanted his money back. She replied in an e-mail and told him she would return the money, but she never did. He received his book of checks in the mail during the time his ex-wife was at his house. The victim told police the suspect also stole his credit card and used it, but he never reported it because his credit card company credited the account. Police ran a warrant check on the suspect, and it shows that there are warrants for her arrest in Torrance and Orange County.

GRAND THEFT. Two bags containing several items were reportedly stolen outside a home on Loma Drive Jan. 10 at 8:10 p.m. The victim told police he moved the two bags that contained a laptop computer, clothing and a GPS device from his car near the garage door of his girlfriend's home. He left the bags there while he parked his car. He returned about two to three minutes later and discovered the bags missing. The items inside are valued at about $2,500.

The Beach Reporter - January 15, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/15)

STALKING. A man reportedly stalked his former girlfriend who works at City Hall, located in the 1300 block of Valley Drive, Jan. 6 at 2:05 p.m. According to police, the man stopped by the woman's office with two letters scented with cologne, a photo and a book, asking to talk to the victim, using her maiden name. The man asked an employee to see the victim who then called the victim's office. Another employee who works with the victim told the employee to have the man leave the items there. The victim fears the man, who has tried to contact her over the past 20 years on several occasions. The man only knows the victim by her maiden name. The suspect left a photo and it included an image of the man whom the victim later identified as her former boyfriend. The victim has filed a previous report with police related to a past incident with the man. The suspect was involved in a dating relationship with the victim about 30 years ago and the victim has had no contact with the man for the past 20 years. The man has continually Fed-Exed packages to the victim over the years. This is the first time that the victim is aware of that the man has tried to contact her at work. As far as the victim knew, she didn't think the suspect knew where she worked or lived. She fears the suspect could do harm to her family or herself. The victim told the man to stop contacting her but it seems his contacts have only become bolder. The employee who spoke with the man described him as pushy but not rude.

BURGLARY. A home in the 1000 block of Monterey Boulevard was reportedly burglarized between Dec. 24 and Dec. 26. The victim noticed his two checkbooks missing from his home and discovered someone had cashed checks totaling $530 from his checking accounts in the form of fraudulent transactions. The victim also noticed someone deposited $1,700 into his account most likely used to float the transaction. The man also told police he was burglarized in April 2003 at his homes in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. He believes his former secretary is responsible for all three burglaries and noted she did have a key to his home in April. The victim discovered that a check made out to the suspect's boyfriend was cashed without his permission. Police queried the suspect's boyfriend's name and discovered he has $7,500 in outstanding warrants.

RAZOR THEFT. A group of young men reportedly stole a grocery basket full of razor blades from a store in the 700 block of Pier Avenue Jan. 6 at 12:10 p.m. An employee noticed the group of suspects walk into the store for a brief moment and then exit at a fast pace. Another employee saw the men put about $200 worth of razor blades into a small grocery basket and walk out of the store. The employee who first noticed the men walk into the store followed them outside and watched them climb into a van. The employee recorded the car's license plate number.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly attempted to use the personal information of a person living in Hermosa Beach to buy a car Jan. 8. The suspect(s) used the victim's Social Security number and date of birth to open up a credit card account that was used in an attempt to purchase a car. The victim received a call from a credit company to verify that he was attempting to buy a SUV because someone provided a different address for the purchase than what was listed on his credit report. The suspect(s) apparently opened a credit card account in 2001 by using the victim's identity. The victim believes a former employer is responsible for the theft.

The Beach Reporter - January 8, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/8)

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON. A group of five men reportedly assaulted a man near the corner of 22nd Street and Hermosa Avenue Jan. 1 between 2 and 2:05 a.m. The man told police he was skateboarding across the street when he heard a group of men yell, "That's one of them." The suspects ran toward the victim and grabbed him. One of the men put him in a headlock while the four others punched and kicked him. The victim finally pulled away and began to run away. As he ran off, one of the suspects picked up the victim's skateboard and hit him in the upper back. The victim sustained lumps to his head, a bloody nose and abrasions to his face.

ARMED ROBBERY. A man reportedly walked into a business in the 700 block of Pier Avenue and robbed the store and the two employees at gunpoint Dec. 30 at 11:35 p.m. According to the employees, the man walked into the store, stayed about five minutes and left around 9 p.m. He later walked in again and walked around the store for a few minutes. He then approached the employee behind the front counter, took out the gun and pointed it at him. He then said, "Hey you, you're being robbed, give me all of your money." The employee complied and gave the robber between $75 to $100 from the cash drawer. During the exchange, the second employee walked up behind his co-worker. The suspect then asked for the wallets of both employees that contained cash. The suspect then asked if their identification was in the wallets and both victims said, "Yes." The suspect then said, "The reason I'm taking your wallets is if I see you make a call in the next 10 minutes, I'm going to your houses." The suspect then fled the scene and the victims called police about 10 minutes later.

OAKLAND RAIDERS FANS. A man was arrested for reportedly hitting a woman in the face twice with a closed fist in a bar located on the pier plaza Jan. 2 at 12:21 a.m. The victim told police she was sitting at a table across from the suspect when they began to argue over the success of the Oakland Raiders football team. The suspect became angry and punched her in the mouth with a closed fist. The bar employees witnessed the fight and escorted the man out of the bar. As they escorted him outside, the man turned around and hit the woman one more time. The woman, who sustained a swollen lip and two small abrasions, put the man under private persons' arrest.

ALL OVER A CIGARETTE. A man was arrested for reportedly hitting another man in the face because he didn't have a cigarette Jan. 1 at 3:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Pacific Coast Highway. The victim told police he was walking down the street when the suspect, walking the opposite way, said, "You better have a cigarette for me." The victim did not know the man and did not want confrontation so he didn't answer him. The victim tried to walk by but the suspect bumped his shoulder. The suspect then demanded a cigarette from the victim who said he didn't have one. The victim told the suspect to leave him alone and the suspect then hit him in the face with a closed fist. An off-duty Hermosa Beach Police officer was sitting in his car at a red light and saw the suspect hit the victim. He immediately called for help, got out of his car and helped detain the suspect. Police arrested the man who showed signs of intoxication.

STRONGARM PURSE ROBBERY. A man reportedly robbed a woman of her purse on the pier plaza Jan. 1 at 1:30 a.m. The victim told police she was standing in front of a restaurant and flagging down a friend from a distance. She raised her arms over her head and the suspect came from behind, grabbed her purse and ran away. The victim chased after the man but he got away. The purse and its contents - a cellular phone and cash - are all valued at $350.

The Beach Reporter - January 2, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/2)

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the private information of a person living in the 2400 block of Silverstrand Avenue to open up a telephone account that remained active between Aug. 13 and Dec. 29. The victim told police she received a letter in the mail from a collection agency stating she owed about $520 to the phone company. The suspect used the victim's maiden name and Social Security number to open the account.

GRAND THEFT. A surveillance camera located near 19th Street and Hermosa Avenue was reportedly stolen between 5 p.m. Dec. 26 and 8 a.m. Dec. 29. The property owner installed the camera at the top of the pole to oversee workers at the site currently under construction. The camera, connected to a small black box, contained a transmitter, which allowed the victim to watch the site over the Internet. The project manager reported the theft since the property owner was out of town.

VANDALISM. A green Ford Mustang parked in the 400 block of Hermosa Avenue was reportedly vandalized Dec. 30 at 12:41 a.m. A witness told police she heard the sound of smashing glass and ran out onto her balcony to see what happened. The suspect(s) used an 8-by-10-inch cinder block to break the window. She then called police. The victim told police he parked the car on the street in the hopes of selling it. The victim noticed nothing missing from the car. Police noticed three smashed eggs on the hood and windshield of the car, and found the car's "For Sale" sign in the street.

ASSAULT WITH DEADLY WEAPON. A man and woman were arrested for assaulting a man outside a restaurant in the 1000 block of Hermosa Avenue Dec. 27 at 2:38 a.m. Citizens advised several police officers patrolling the pier plaza of a fight in front of the restaurant. Officers arrived and noticed numerous people yelling in the street. Officers noticed both suspects had blood on their clothes, hands and faces and the female suspect's blouse was torn. According to a witness, the fight broke out between the man and another man - the victim - and she saw the victim fall to the ground. She then saw the female suspect pick up a chair, hit the victim several items in the back of the head and then kick him in the face and ribs. According to another witness, the victim attempted to make small talk with the male suspect who became agitated and started to yell at the victim. The witness then saw the suspect hit the victim in the face. Another witness heard the male suspect say, "We're from New York and we don't take any sh**." The victim then said, "I'm from Hermosa Beach and I don't take any sh** either." The victim placed the male suspect under a private person's arrest and police arrested the woman for felony assault.

ASSAULTING A PEACE OFFICER. Police arrested a woman after she reportedly slapped a police officer in the face in a parking lot along 11th and The Strand Dec. 27 at 1:12 a.m. Officers responded to a call of a fight in the parking lot where they found the suspect standing with two other women, challenging another group of women to a fight. Police advised the suspect to leave but she did not respond. The officer then touched her on the arm and told her to leave again, and the woman turned and slapped the officer with her right open hand.

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