Hermosa Beach Crime Reports for 2005

DELL ACCOUNT. An unknown person reportedly used the personal information of a Hermosa Beach resident to open up an account with Dell computers. The victim received a notice from a collection agency April 14 for a delinquent balance with Dell in the amount of $3,325. The victim later received a statement from Dell with her name and address on it. She told police she never applied or opened an account with Dell.

SPRAY PAINT. An unknown person reportedly vandalized a business in the 1200 block of Artesia Boulevard between April 15 at 10 a.m. and April 18 at 9 a.m. The victim, who is the owner of the business, told police that upon her return she discovered that someone had spray-painted graffiti on the awning of her business and a wall bordering the east side with yellow paint.

FRAUDULENT CHARGES. An unknown person reportedly charged several items to a woman's credit card fraudulently between Nov. 11, 2004, and Dec. 15, 2004. The victim told police she received her statement from the credit card company and was notified of six fraudulent charges made over the phone totaling about $229. The credit card company has since removed the charges.

STOLEN MONEY. A water vending machine outside a grocery store in the 2500 block of Pacific Coast Highway was reportedly burglarized between April 11 at 9:57 a.m. and April 20 at 8 a.m. The district manager of Glacier Water told police that the company has a freestanding machine outside the grocery store. The technician last checked the machine April 11 and the company later received a call from a store employee that it was out of service. The manager later examined the machine and discovered that the suspect(s) drilled out two locks on the machine and stole an estimated $440 in cash. The damage to the locks is estimated at $300.

FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT. The personal information of a woman living in Hermosa Beach was reportedly used to open up a fraudulent checking account in Hemet, Calif., April 11 at 3 p.m. The victim attempted to open an account with US Bank in Santa Monica and was told that her name was listed on Checks System - a national database that tracks and alerts its users of fraudulent activity. The woman was unable to open an account due to a delinquent account with Washington Mutual Bank. The victim does have an active checking account with Washington Mutual and discovered that someone used her personal information to open up another checking account in her name. The bank account has a negative balance.

The Beach Reporter – April 21, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/21)

CAR BURGLARY. A car parked in a garage in the 2400 block of Park Avenue was reportedly burglarized between 8 p.m. April 4 and 8:15 a.m. April 5. The victim parked her car in her garage, and left it unlocked and the garage door open. She returned to it the next morning to find that a digital camera and some equipment for it all valued at $1,300 were missing.

GARAGE BURGLARY. A car generator and a bike were reportedly stolen from a garage in Hermosa Beach between 10 p.m. April 10 and an unknown time April 13. The victim told police that he has kept his garage open periodically and many construction workers have access to the items stored inside. The workers in the past have entered the garage without permission to install a telephone box and the victim indicated that other people have the ability to open the garage without forceful entry. The stolen items are valued at $1,675.

THEFT. An unknown person reportedly stole a jacket that contained a cell phone from a bar on pier plaza April 12 between 10 and 11 p.m. The victim told police that she was inside the bar and put down her jacket on a black box near the floor while she danced. She returned to the box to find her jacket missing. The victim called her phone and left a message to whoever had the items to call her husband's cellular phone to return the property. The victim's husband said he received a call from a person who identified herself as "Christine." The caller claimed she had a birthday party at the bar the night before, and had the victim's jacket and phone. While the two were speaking they were disconnected from each other and the woman never called back. The victim called the number back and spoke to a caller who claimed to have no knowledge of the stolen items.

VANDALISM. A 1995 Ford Explorer was vandalized in Hermosa Beach between 11:30 p.m. April 15 and 9:30 a.m. April 16. The victim discovered toilet paper wrapped around his trees and strewn over his lawn at his residence. He noticed that all four of the car's tires were flattened and the suspect(s) used duct tape to spell out the words, "**** you" on his hood. Police found a pair of surgical gloves near the car that were presumably used to apply the tape. Another home nearby was also vandalized in a similar way and the victim knows the other victim through a common link by an undisclosed association.

FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWALS. A unknown person reportedly used a victim's debit card to make several unauthorized transactions in Manhattan Beach and Sherman Oaks between April 12 and April 15. The victim attempted to withdraw funds from her checking account with her debit card. Her withdrawal was denied and she contacted her bank that told her that she had already withdrawn the maximum amount of $100, which had already been completed earlier that day. She advised her bank that she didn't withdraw any money and with the help of its personnel she discovered eight unauthorized transactions. The victim immediately closed her account.

The Beach Reporter – April 14, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/14)

ANNOYING PHONE CALLS. An unknown person reportedly made a series of phone calls to a man's cell phone and home phone in the 100 block of Lyndon Street between the hours of 8:30 p.m. March 27 and 10 p.m. March 28. The person called between 30 and 50 times without leaving any messages. When the victim would pick up, the suspect would immediately hang up. The victim does not have any idea who it would be but does fear for his safety.

CAR BURGLARY. A Ford Explorer parked in the 2500 block of Myrtle Avenue was reportedly burglarized between 7:30 p.m. April 4 and 7 a.m. April 5. The victim parked his unlocked car and returned to it the next morning to find a wetsuit and miscellaneous surfing items all valued at $400 missing.

EMBEZZLEMENT. A former employee reportedly embezzled a business owner out of $700 April 5, 2003, in the 900 block of Hermosa Avenue. The victim reported the incident April 5 and told police that her business is currently involved in a fraudulent worker's compensation lawsuit with the suspect. During the trial, a handwritten receipt written in reference to a company check was admitted into evidence. The victim told police that the receipt does not reflect the truth because the suspect did not work on April 5, 2003. The funds from a check written out that day were to pay for advertising space in a local newspaper. The check was written for $700 and the victim said the suspect was entrusted with writing company checks in order to purchase advertising space. The copy of the cancelled check was written out to "Cash" but was supposed to go to the Easy Reader newspaper for advertising space. The suspect reportedly cashed the check and put the funds into her personal account. The victim would like the money returned to the company.

BATTERY/GRAND THEFT. Two men were reportedly attacked by three other men in a parking structure in the 900 block of Hermosa Avenue April 2 at 2:15 a.m. The victim told police that he and a friend went out the evening of April 1 to a bar on the pier plaza. They later left the bar, bought pizza and returned to where they parked their car. The suspects approached the men who heard the first suspect mention something about the city of San Pedro. The suspect then walked up to the first victim and asked "Where you from?" Both victims responded by saying, "Torrance." The first suspect then punched the first victim in the face twice and the victim fell to the ground. The second victim tried to get in between his friend and the three men who then turned on him. One of the suspects punched and kicked him to the ground. All three men then began kicking and hitting him in the arms and head. A small camera fell out of the victim's pocket during the attack, and when the men stopped they took the camera and left the scene.

The Beach Reporter – April 7, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (4/7)

SELF-DEFENSE. A man reportedly choked his sister in their apartment located in Hermosa Beach March 27 at 8:40 a.m. The victim told police that she asked her brother to help clean the apartment. Their mother was to arrive that day for Easter and the victim wanted the residence to be clean. The suspect began to make bowing motions and called his sister an obscenity. The two parties began to fight and the suspect, who is a karate expert according to the victim, choked the victim until she said she couldn't breathe. "I have a seizure disorder, he knows that. This could have killed me," she told police. The victim then told police that she bit his finger and drew blood in an act of self-defense.

BURGLARY. A car parked in the 1200 block of Sixth Street was reportedly burglarized between the evening of April 4 and 8:09 a.m. April 5. The victim, who locked her car the night before, returned to it, and discovered the glove box open and both driver's side doors ajar. The car was unlocked, and the victim discovered several items missing including a purse and camera. The value of the items stolen is $450.

STOLEN CASH. A car parked and locked in a driveway in the 1000 block of Second Street was reportedly burglarized between the evening of April 4 and 8:34 a.m. April 5. The victim returned to the car to find the glove box open and both driver's side doors ajar. The burglar(s) stole a driver's license, car registration papers and $30 in cash.

FORGERY. An unknown person reportedly made unsolicited charges to a man's credit card account in an unknown location April 4 at 5 p.m. The victim received a call from MBNA and discovered through a representative that unsolicited charges were made to his account with convenience checks that were made out and previously mailed to him. The victim told police that he was in the process of moving and demolishing his old home in February, and during this time he kept a sealed trash bag full of mail and paperwork that he would later shred. The checks were inside the bag. Before the demolition, the victim invited unknown people to his house to take window fixtures and other property of value they wanted before the house was destroyed. He suspects that one of these subjects rummaged through the trash bag since he found the bag open after they left.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly opened a line of credit using the personal information of a woman living in Hermosa Beach in May of 2004. The woman reported the incident after she received an e-mail from Discover Card Profile Protect service informing her that an unknown person opened an account with a company based in Wisconsin. The suspect called, used the victim's name and possibly her Discover Card number to open a line of credit. A total of $77 had already been charged to the account.

The Beach Reporter – March 31, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/31)

STOLEN TEETH. A pair of dentures was reportedly stolen from a home in the 300 block of 33rd Street March 20. The victim told police she took out the bottom set of dentures, placed them in a tissue and left them on a shelf in the bathroom. The next day the victim woke up and found the lower dentures valued at $200 missing.

CELL PHONE BILL. An unknown individual used the personal information of a woman living in Hermosa Beach to open a cellular phone account with Verizon in November 2001. The victim received a call from a collection agency about the account that had a balance of $1,000. The suspect used the victim's maiden name to open the account with a billing address on Pacific Coast Highway. The victim suspects a former boyfriend whom she broke up with six to seven months prior to the opening of the account.

CAR VANDALISM. A Hummer2 was reportedly vandalized in the 100 block of Hermosa Avenue March 25. The victim parked the car along the median around 8 a.m. and returned to find that an unknown person wrote, "You don't live in Saudi Arabia" and several obscenities on the car with lipstick.

The Beach Reporter – March 24, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/24)

FORGERY. An unknown person reportedly attempted to scam a man living in the 900 block of Aviation Boulevard out of $8,000 March 14 at 10 a.m. through the Internet. The man told police that he had recently opened an account with Auto Trader on the Internet in order to sell his 2002 Audi TT. He was asking $27,000 for the car. The man received a response from an unknown subject who typed poorly and most likely spoke English as a second language. The subject wanted to buy the car and send the victim a check for $8,000 more than the asking price of the car. The subject directed the victim when he received the check in the mail to send the difference in the balance back to the subject. The victim knew it was a scam. The victim received the check in the mail, recognized it as fake and took it to the police.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used the Social Security number of a man living in Hermosa Beach to open a cellular phone account between 6 a.m. March 1 and 6 p.m. March 22. The victim told police he received a call from a collection agency for an account with Cingular that totaled $137. The individual used the victim's Social Security number to obtain the cellular phone.

BATTERY. A man reportedly hit an employee working at a business in the 1100 block of Hermosa Avenue March 16 between 9:15 and 9:18 p.m. A witness who was working at the cashier told police the suspect came in and immediately began yelling. The suspect demanded food and better customer service. The witness told police that the suspect didn't place an order and wasn't exactly sure what he was requesting. The suspect was belligerent and began using obscene language that the witness found to be unintelligible. The witness recognized the suspect from a previous and similar incident, and demanded he leave the business as several of the customers appeared to be upset. The suspect refused to leave and threatened to sue the business. He then began yelling at the victim, walked up the counter and into a corridor of the kitchen, and struck the victim in the face. The witness called police and the suspect walked out of the business.

PETTY THEFT. Two men in their 20s reportedly stole beer from a store in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway March 17 at 12:08 a.m. An employee working as a manager and a checkout cashier noticed the two men rapidly pushing a shopping cart out of the store that was filled with beer. She knew the men stole it because she was the only employee handling transactions at the time. She called on the store's courtesy clerk who went outside and saw the men drive off in a black pickup.

FELONY VANDALISM. A man was arrested for uprooting flowers and plants, and tearing down banner signs belonging to businesses in the 300 block of Pacific Coast Highway March 18 at 2:07 a.m. The police arrived at the scene and noticed the man matching the description sitting against a wall along PCH with his friend. The two men noticed the police and began running. Officers detained the two subjects. The suspect accepted responsibility for the vandalism with an estimated damage of $500. The suspect's palms were dirty with topsoil and his clothes were stained green from the plants. A witness saw the uprooted plants on the street and saw the suspect pulling down the banner, and called police with a description.

The Beach Reporter – March 17, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/17)

PAROLE VIOLATION. A 41-year-old man from Redondo Beach was reportedly arrested for violating his parole March 11 after visiting at a bar in the northern section of Hermosa Beach. Consuming alcohol is a violation of the man's parole. According to police, officers were informed that the suspect who was recently released from prison became intoxicated and showed up at the bar. While inside, the suspect, Robert Leeder, got into a disturbance with the bartender. The suspect was later found injured on the street in Redondo Beach and was arrested for violating the terms of his parole that included consuming alcohol. Leeder was convicted and sent to prison after he killed a man with a skateboard in 1985.

FAKE BILL. A woman reportedly paid for merchandise at a store in the 100 block of Pier Avenue March 13 at 5:30 p.m. with a fake $50 bill. The woman walked up to the counter to buy a straw purse that cost about $14. The store employee looked at the bill and questioned the suspect about it. The suspect told her that the bill had been bleached in the wash. The employee didn't want to make a scene so she completed the transaction. The employee gave the suspect her change and watched her leave the scene. The employee looked at the bill again and called police. The investigation by police determined that the bill had a security bar code of a $5 bill and that the bill was actually a $5 bill that had been bleached and reprinted as a $50 bill.

KIDNAPPING. Two men reportedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman from Dec. 17, 1979, at 5:30 p.m. until Dec. 18, 1979, at 6 a.m. after they abducted her at the corner of Hermosa Avenue and Second Street. The woman reported the crime March 6. She told police that she was walking to her home near Hermosa Avenue and Herondo Street when two men pulled up to her in a sports car, possibly a Lotus. One of the suspects jumped out, grabbed her and pulled her into the car. The second suspect, who was behind the wheel, drove the three of them to the Palos Verdes Peninsula area where they stopped near a small field. The two men took her out onto the field and she fought with them to the extent that they had to put her back into the car and drove her to a house in the same area. The men took her upstairs to a bedroom. She told police that she doesn't remember much of that night but what she does remember is that the two men undressed her. The suspect driving knelt on her shoulders while the suspect that grabbed her attempted to spread her legs. This suspect burnt her knee with a cigarette and also burnt her genitals in three separate places. The suspect then put a beer bottle inside her "over and over again." The victim didn't relay any information about the men raping her. The suspects kept her inside the house until the next morning at sunrise when they drove her to the Redondo Beach Pier, pushed her out of the car and drove away. The victim does not expect an investigation but insisted on reporting the incident.

PAROLE VIOLATION. A 37-year-old Marina del Rey man was reportedly arrested March 13 for violating his parole after a Hermosa Beach Police officer stopped him for a vehicle code violation and discovered a .50 Armalite sniper rifle concealed in the back of the car. The officer noticed the suspect driving south on Hermosa Avenue, noticed the car violation and stopped the car at 13th Street. The officer discovered that the suspect, Kyle Brennan Harness, was on parole for armed robbery. The officer conducted a search of the car and found the gun. The passenger - a 24-year-old female from Westchester - was also arrested for giving false information to a peace officer and for outstanding warrants. Further investigation determined that the rifle had been stolen in the course of a home burglary in Venice and detectives found two more guns that have also been taken in the same burglary. Harness was also charged with possession of stolen property and felony possession of a firearm.

The Beach Reporter – March 10, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/10)

ATTEMPTED BREAK-IN. Two men reportedly tried to break into a house in the 500 block of 21st Street March 4 around 11:45 p.m. The victim told police he saw the two suspects at a party down the street that he attended in the early evening. He was talking to one of them outside on the street when the second one walked out of the house and they left the party together. The victim was later informed that the two men might have possibly stolen some purses that were left inside a bedroom at the party. The victim became upset, left the house and returned home. The victim's friend dropped him off at his house and he noticed that the side gate was ajar. He went through the gate and around the house to a sliding glass door that he used as his personal entrance. As he came around the corner he saw a shadowy figure and recognized the person as one of the suspects at the party who now appeared to be standing lookout at the corner. He asked the suspect what he was doing in the yard as he saw and recognized the second suspect who was attempting to pick the lock on the sliding glass door. One of the suspects ran while the victim continued to question the other one. The suspect said he had to urinate and the victim did in fact see urination on the side of the house. The victim then ran to a neighbor's house to call his mother who was sleeping inside the house. Both suspects fled the scene.

HOME BURGLARY. A home in the 400 block of Monterey Boulevard was reportedly burglarized March 5 between 1:30 and 8 a.m. The victim and his roommate returned home around 1 a.m. and closed their front door but did not lock it. They woke up the next morning and noticed that an iPod, a Sony Playstation, an ATM card, identification card and $20 in cash had gone missing. One of the victim's shoes had been used to prop open the front door.

PURSE THEFT. A purse was reportedly stolen from a grocery store in the 700 block of Pier Avenue March 4 at 9:21 a.m. The victim told police she was shopping and pushed her cart into a checkout line inside the store. She took out a credit card and her driver's license from her purse that was sitting inside the cart. She paid for her items and placed the cards back into her purse. The victim then noticed her purse was gone as she was leaving the store.

CRIMINAL THREATS. The former boyfriend of a woman reportedly made criminal threats to her over the phone in the 900 block of Aviation Boulevard March 4 at 11:50 a.m. The woman told police that she called the suspect regarding a child custody case between the former couple. The suspect became irate with the victim because the District Attorney is investigating him. He told the victim. "If me or my peoples get investigated, I'm gonna break you off. I know you only have one brother left, I'm gonna make you respect me." The victim took his statement as being credible because the suspect spent eight years in prison and is a current gang member. She also suspects that he is connected in the death of one of her other brothers.

The Beach Reporter – March 3, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (3/3)

BURGLARY. An ATM machine was nearly stolen from an apartment complex office in the 400 block of Second Street between 10 p.m. Feb. 21 and 8 a.m. Feb. 22. The manager of the complex noticed that the trim around the ATM had been pried off and several holes were made in the dry wall in an attempt to take the machine. A video of the scene shows two men climbing over a gate and entering the building where the office is located. The men then leave and later re-enter in the same door that they jammed open. The damage to the door is $500.

GRAND THEFT. A suitcase containing numerous items including a purse, jewelry, shoes, clothing and glasses worth about $2,300 was reportedly stolen from a hotel in the 2600 block of Pacific Coast Highway Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The victim was checking out of the hotel and left her suitcase on the front steps near the hotel entrance while she waited for a taxi. She did not load the missing suitcase into the cab and assumed the driver did. She arrived at the airport and noticed that her suitcase was missing. She called the hotel and the person working said it was seen but did not know where it was now. The victim returned to search for the suitcase but to no avail. She eventually returned home to Sacramento.

HOME BATTERY. A man reportedly assaulted his mother in her home in the 3400 block of Manhattan Avenue between 5 and 5:08 p.m. Feb. 27. The victim told police that her son is in a sober living program in Orange County and came to her house earlier in the day. He was watching a movie in the victim's daughter's room and the victim was in her room. The suspect came in and told her that she owed him $110 for a bong that she had thrown away that belonged to him. The victim refused to give him the money and he became enraged. He then pushed her into a closet and spit on her. She pushed him away and he said, "That's assault," and continued to scream at her. She attempted to call police but the batteries in her phone were dead. The suspect then said, "Fine, call the police, I know my rights, you assaulted me." The victim ran outside to call the police from her neighbor's house but no one was home. The victim walked back inside and up the stairs when the suspect grabbed her by the arm and threw her onto the ground while knocking down a lamp. She got up, and the suspect grabbed her and threw her down again in another room. She then called police with her cellular phone. The suspect then ran out and drove away.

SKI MASK ENCOUNTER. A man in a black ski mask reportedly cornered a woman in her garage in the 600 block of Sixth Street between 7 and 7:04 p.m. Feb. 28. The victim arrived home and pulled into her garage. She got out and closed the door. As she was rounding one of the corners, a man wearing a black ski mask approached her. She started screaming as he walked toward her. The suspect was holding an unknown type of weapon in his hand. The suspect threatened to cut her and shoot her if she didn't stop screaming. He reached his hand out toward her face to cover her mouth and she continued to scream. The suspect ran away and the victim called police.

The Beach Reporter - February 25, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/25)

HOME INVASION. The bedroom of a residence in the 1500 block of Bonnie Brae Avenue was reportedly ransacked between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Feb. 8. The victim told police that she locked her residence and went to school. When she returned, she noticed that her bedroom had been ransacked. She believes the intruder entered through a doggie door that is attached to a door that leads directly into her bedroom. She suspects her ex-boyfriend who said they are no longer friends and has told her on prior occasions that he would break into her house to get revenge. She told police they quit dating about one month ago. The pictures on the victim's walls had been ripped down yet more expensive items like a flat computer screen, a laptop and CDs were not taken.

STOLEN GUITARS. Two guitars were reportedly stolen from a home in the 800 block of 15th Street between Jan. 24 and Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. The victim has two daughters living with her, both of whom are caring for an infant child. Both daughters have had problems with alcohol and/or drugs and are in constant need of money to support their lifestyle. The victim, who owns the guitars, went to move one and noticed the case was lighter than usual. She checked and discovered the guitar missing. She then checked the garage where the other guitar was stored, and saw that both the case and the guitar were gone. The victim suspects her older daughter of taking it and pawning it.

CAR SEATS STOLEN. A 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe was reportedly burglarized in the 600 block of Longfellow Avenue between noon Feb. 1 and 5:30 a.m. Feb. 7. The victim went to move his car and noticed that the driver's side door was slightly open. The victim looked inside and initially saw nothing missing. The victim then noticed that the third row of seats in his car was gone.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. An unknown person reportedly tried to break into a residence in the 600 block of Porter Lane between 2 and 3 a.m. Feb. 13. One of the victims was asleep in the home when her roommate, the other victim, decided to go for a walk with her boyfriend. The couple heard a loud smash and returned home to find one of the residence's windows broken and the screen pried back. The victim out on a walk woke up her roommate who didn't hear the window smash. They checked the area and found the gate to their side yard was open.

WALLET STOLEN. A wallet belonging to an employee of a nail shop in the 900 block of Hermosa Avenue was stolen Feb. 14 at 12:30 p.m. Three women walked into the shop for some services while a male companion waited in a white car parked outside. The women acted unusual and tried to block the view of employees to their lockers. The wallet that contained credit cards and $230 in cash was later discovered missing.

The Beach Reporter - February 17, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/17)

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. A front door to a home in the 700 block of 21st Street was reportedly forced open in what appeared to be an attempted burglary between midnight Feb. 12 and 7 a.m. Feb. 15. The victim noticed the doorjamb damaged, estimated to cost $250 to fix, and checked the interior of the residence. He noticed entry had not been made and no property was missing.

STOLEN BEER AND CAR CRASH. Two male juveniles reportedly stole two 24-packs of Budweiser from a grocery store in the 2500 block of Pacific Coast Highway Feb. 9 at 4:37 p.m. The store manager saw the two teenagers, carrying a pack each, leave the store without paying for them. She followed the suspects outside, and watched them get into a white pickup truck and drive away quickly. The manager returned inside and was then informed by a customer that a truck matching the same description had just crashed into a nearby building occupied by a real estate company. The manager saw the suspect near the car and the beer inside, and asked him to get out. Police arrived on the scene and detained a second subject whom the manager positively identified as the second suspect. Both suspects showed symptoms of intoxication - slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, a staggering walk and an alcoholic odor on their breath - and officers arrested them for public intoxication and petty theft.

CAT TRAPPING. A woman reportedly made criminal threats to a man who trapped her cat on his property located along Pier Avenue Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. The victim caught the cat with a mechanical trapping device and the suspect came onto the property to retrieve the cat. The victim did not stop her but requested she not come onto his property. The suspect said, "You are being too aggressive with me. I have a gun." The victim, who never actually saw a gun, feared for his life and retreated back inside his home and called police.

FRAUD. The personal bank account information of a woman living in the 800 block of 21st Street was reportedly used to purchase goods between Feb. 11 and 12. The victim checked her bank account over the Internet when she discovered someone had purchased goods totaling nearly $1,100. Seven transactions were made and one more in the amount of $400 was denied. The victim does not know how anyone got her account information since she rarely uses her check card. Among the transactions, purchases were made at Macy's and Robinsons May at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles and in Glendale. The victim told police she did use her card at Macy's in Manhattan Beach last month.

ANNOYING CALLS. A woman living in the 2000 block of Pacific Coast Highway received threatening phone calls on Feb. 4 at noon and Feb. 14 at 6:30 a.m. The victim told police that the owners of her apartment hired a company to repair a portion of the roof. The company did some extensive damage to some of the victim's belongings. She is currently in litigation with the owners of the apartment building for the compensation of her loss. The apartment manager told the victim that the owners are suing the roofing company to cover their losses. On Feb. 4, the victim received a phone call by a man identified as Jeff who said he was the owner of the company. He screamed at her over the phone using profanity. The victim told him to never call back again and hung up. The suspect called again on Feb. 14, essentially said the same thing and used the last phrase again. The victim fears for her safety since she thinks the suspect still has access to the building and knows where she lives.

The Beach Reporter - February 3, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (2/3)

PAINT SPRAYERS MISSING. Two paint sprayers were reportedly stolen from a company trailer parked in the 900 block of Aviation Boulevard between 5 p.m. Jan. 26 and 9 a.m. Jan. 28. The victim was hired by a hotel to paint part of it and while doing so she kept a trailer on site near the parking area. One of her employees discovered the sprayers missing from the trailer.

PLASMA TV STOLEN. A 42-inch plasma television was reportedly stolen from a garage on 15th Street between Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. The victim told police she is currently renovating her house and used the garage to store various items she was going to place in the house. The television was delivered to the house, and was still unopened and in its box when it went missing. The victim believes it had to have been taken by at least two people because of its weight. The televisions was in plain view from the sidewalk and the victim left the garage door open while construction workers were present.

STOLEN FILES. Some personal files belonging to the owner of a business in the 1000 block of Aviation Boulevard were reportedly stolen around April of last year. The victim reported the incident Jan. 31. The victim believes a person working for her from January 2004 to April 2004 stole the files. The victim needs the file back due to the possibility of an audit.

FORGERY. A man entered a bank in the 1500 block of Pacific Coast Highway and reportedly tried to attempt cashing a check with a fake driver's license Feb. 1 at 3:57 p.m. The man entered the bank and presented the license to the bank employee who placed it under an ultraviolet light. The light reveals the image of the California flag if it's an authentic license and this one did not. The employee alerted her fellow co-workers in the bank and called police. The suspect eventually got scared and fled the scene. The suspect also left the license and check at the bank.

CREDIT CARD FRAUD. Two credit cards belonging to a woman were reportedly stolen from a bar on the pier plaza and used at a pizza place in the 1100 block of Hermosa Avenue Jan. 23 between noon and 10 p.m. The woman told police she was at the bar watching football and the next day she received a call from her credit card company that informed her of some suspicious activity on her account. A representative from the company told her about charges made to the pizza place along with two unknown locations in Torrance and Inglewood. The woman then checked her purse and noticed two credit cards, $180 in cash, a disposable camera and her cellular phone all missing. She believes it was all taken while she watched football in the bar.

The Beach Reporter - Jan. 27, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/27)

MACHETE VANDALISM. A man reportedly shattered two bar windows and a car widow in the 200 block of Pacific Coast Highway Jan. 19 at 11:42 p.m. According to police, one of the doormen at the bar had to assist another doorman in escorting the suspect out after a female companion who was in the same company as the suspect became disturbed when the suspect began grabbing her at the bar. The doorman asked the suspect to leave and he became agitated. The suspect then picked up a barstool and attempted to throw it at the doorman. The doorman, who is larger in size than the suspect, grabbed it away from him. The suspect was physically restrained by being placed in a headlock and escorted outside. The suspect made some racial slurs before leaving the site. About 10 minutes later, the suspect returned to the bar at its rear door with a machete in his hand. Several patrons blocked the rear entrance so the suspect couldn't enter. Prior to leaving the back door, the man swung the machete at a plastic window and broke it, and also swung it at a car in the parking lot, shattering a rear window. The suspect then walked to the front of the bar and with the help of several more patrons, the doorman was able to deny the man access through the front door. The man once again swung his machete and shattered the front window of the bar. Someone attempted to calm him but he was reportedly in a rage. This same person followed him on foot south along PCH and west down First Place. At one point, the suspect turned around and came after him with the weapon by swinging it at him in an attempt to hit him. The man, who is supposedly a regular customer, ran in between two houses on First Street.

BRANDISHING A DEADLY WEAPON. A man reportedly brandished a knife with a blade about 4 inches in length at a doorman in the 200 block of Pacific Coast Highway Jan. 22 between 1:35 and 1:42 a.m. The doorman told police he was working the rear entrance of the bar, which is west of PCH. He noticed the suspect inside the bar throughout the night without causing any incident. The suspect then left through the rear door into the parking lot and returned a few moments later. The suspect tried to regain entry and the doorman refused to let him in because he looked heavily intoxicated. The suspect became angry and demanded entry. The suspect then reached into his waistband and pulled out a folding knife. He began waving it at the doorman and yelling expletives. He then said, "Do you know who I know inside this bar?" and "I'll stab you in the side of your neck." The doorman calmly asked him to leave the area. He complied and fled the scene on foot south through the parking lot.

RAPE. A woman reported that a man she knew had raped her between 10 p.m. Dec. 30 and 4 p.m. Dec. 31 in a house on Prospect Avenue. Hermosa Beach Police received a phone call from the Barstow Police Department informing them that it was conducting an investigation of a rape that had reportedly occurred in town. A Hermosa Beach officer contacted the victim who is enlisted in some kind of armed forces branch and is stationed in Barstow. The victim drove to Hermosa Beach to speak with the officer. The victim told the officer that she had had an ongoing relationship with the suspect who is an artillery specialist in the U.S. Army since September. The relationship was platonic and both parties had communicated with each other through the Internet and by phone. The victim told police she had agreed to meet the suspect at his sister's house in Hermosa Beach. The suspect greeted the victim when she arrived and within five minutes after entering the house, he attempted to take her clothes off. The victim said the suspect persisted until she found herself in his bedroom having sexual intercourse. The officer interviewed the victim at length and found that she had trouble being very specific in her answers. The officer was not sure if it was just in her nature or if she was being deceptive. To clarify, the officer asked if she would make a pretext call to the suspect and she agreed. On Jan. 1, the victim made one of many pretext calls to the suspect and the results of the calls were inconclusive. The victim asked questions that were designed to help determine the validity of the claim; however, the results seemed only to weaken it. Hermosa Beach Police later met with the suspect who agreed to ride to the police station and tell his side of the story. His account was consistent with two people having consensual sex. Police noticed that the suspect was willing to answer any question and he appeared to have a calm demeanor. He said that he and the victim had consensual sex four to five times. He said that after the first time they had sex, they walked to the Hermosa Beach pier and back. The suspect said he and the victim made plans to meet again in the next few days. The officer interviewing the suspect asked why he thought the woman would make such allegations and he said that the victim did get upset when he told her he didn't want to get serious. Police concluded that the accusations could not be proven.

Redondo Beach

SOUTH BAY GALLERIA. On Jan. 23 at about 8:10 p.m., two female juveniles, ages 14 and 12, were walking by themselves on the access road on the north side of Nordstrom at the South Bay Galleria. One of the females was talking on a cellular telephone. They said that two teenagers possibly 16 to 18 years old approached them. One of the two suspects forcibly took the victim's cellular telephone. The suspects fled westbound out of sight. The robbery case is under investigation.

FOOT PURSUIT. On Jan. 22 at about 1:57 a.m., officers were monitoring the crowds leaving nightclubs on the pier. An officer saw a male suspect urinating into a trashcan and exposing his genitals near the men's bathroom adjacent to the bicycle path. When the officers approached him to cite him, he complained that the bathroom was locked and suddenly ran away from the officers southbound on the bike path. As the officers pursued him, he yelled to someone, "Stop them, brother, they're trying to get me." A second suspect emerged from the crowd and grabbed the shoulder of one of the pursuing officers. The second suspect chased the officer as he broke free and pushed the officer off balance. The officer was able to continue his pursuit of the first suspect. As the first suspect ran past the crowd at the base of the pier, an unidentified person in the crowd struck him once in the face. This first suspect continued running about 50 yards, turned on the officers and took a combative stance with clenched fists to fight them. One officer struck him once with an impact weapon and another sprayed him with pepper spray. He submitted to officers without further incident. The second suspect engaged two other officers attempting to punch them as they wrestled to control him and keep him from attacking the first two officers whom he had assaulted and was chasing. The officers were able to overcome his resistance, and he eventually submitted. Officers arrested the two suspects for a variety of charges.

GRAFFITI. On Jan. 19 at about 10:10 p.m., a citizen reported four suspects spraying graffiti on a wall near the north branch post office. Officers responded to the area and found the suspects leaving in the area of Blossom and Carnegie. One of the suspects fled when officers approached. Officers arrested a 17-year-old Redondo Beach resident for suspicion of vandalism and cited others for curfew violations.

The Beach Reporter - Jan. 20, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/20)

RAPE. A woman reportedly woke up naked in a strange bed in an unknown location and felt like she had been penetrated between midnight and 5 a.m. Jan. 9. The victim told police she went to a local restaurant and had two cosmopolitans. No one bought her the drinks and she watched the bartender pour both of them. She does not remember meeting anyone or leaving the bar. She then woke up naked in a strange bed, and felt dizzy and confused. She heard people talking in the other room. She then proceeded to get dressed and walk into the living room. She did not recognize anyone or the location where she was. A man there tried to talk to her when she left the residence. She does remember walking along the Greenbelt to Pier Avenue and east to Pacific Coast Highway. She then hailed a cab near Aviation Boulevard and said she returned home in Redondo Beach around 4 or 5 a.m.

SEX PHOTOS. A set of photos were reportedly taken, developed and picked up of a naked girl between the ages of 7 and 10 years old at a drug store in the 100 block of Pacific Coast Highway Jan. 8, between 8 and 8:30 p.m. The employee who developed the images notified the store's loss prevention manager that a customer has dropped off the pornographic photos for development. The manager advised the employee to give them to the customer upon return. The manager gave police a copy of the prints and the customer's information. The employee told police that a woman and a small girl had dropped off the photos, and the woman later picked them up and paid with cash. On the roll, there are eight photos that show adult sexual organs with some showing sexual intercourse. Two are of a man's face and three show the young girl naked, as she appears to be posing.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY. A man reportedly tried to steal a stereo and amplifier from a boat stored in a vacant dirt lot in the first block of Hermosa Avenue Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The victim told police that he saw the suspect urinating in front of his boat. The suspect scared off the victim who ran east onto Palm Drive. The victim had no idea that the suspect had just attempted to steal the boat's dash stereo and amplifier. He thinks the victim is a customer of a nearby bar, and he later observed the stereo and amplifiers sitting on the boat's bow. The boat is currently unsecured with a tarp covering it.

The Beach Reporter - Jan. 13, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/13)

FRAUD. An unknown person reportedly used a woman's ATM card to purchase goods and make withdrawals of more than $3,000 between Oct. 26 and Dec. 1. The woman reported the incident Jan. 10 after she received her bank statement in the mail. The woman believes she left the card in a coin purse in a public telephone book in early October.

IDENTITY THEFT. An unknown person reportedly used a Hermosa Beach woman's Social Security number and name to open up an AT&T account. The woman contacted a collection agency that sent her a bill of about $40 in the mail. The woman told the representative with the agency she has never opened an account with AT&T.

BURGLARY. A few items stored in a garage in the 500 block of Herondo Street were reportedly stolen between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20. The victim told police he used to live in a townhouse in the area with a garage attached to the home on the bottom level. While he was in the process of moving to Palm Springs, the man left a box containing items valued at $150. The items went missing out of the garage.

ANNOYING PHONE CALLS. A man living in the 700 block of Palm Drive reportedly has received annoying phone calls between 5 p.m. Dec. 4 and 7 p.m. Jan. 10. The man has received the calls off and on during the time period and as many as three in one night. Nothing is ever said but they have become annoying and the man is concerned for his safety. He suspects his girlfriend's ex-husband since he began e-mailing and calling him at work three weeks ago.

ATTEMPTED GRAND THEFT. A set of tire rims from a 1979 Mercedes were reportedly almost stolen in the 100 block of Lyndon Street Jan. 10 at 12:50 a.m. A neighbor walked outside with the trash and saw a man with a car jack near the car that was parked in a carport. The man was last seen walking east on Herondo Street with the car jack.

The Beach Reporter - Jan. 6, 2005

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (1/6)

BURGLARY. A car parked in the 600 block of Seventh Street was reportedly burglarized between midnight and 7:40 a.m. Dec. 30. The victim parked the car in her driveway and locked it. She had left an empty purse on the front floorboard. She returned to find the front passenger window had been broken and the purse valued at $30 was missing. The estimated cost to fix the window is $300.

TRESPASSING. A woman reportedly trespassed onto her former husband's property in the 700 block of Longfellow Avenue Dec. 26 at 1:15 p.m. The victim and his ex-wife are in the middle of a long custody battle over their young son. The woman came over to the victim's home and demanded her son who was supposed to be delivered to her at 4 p.m. The victim's girlfriend answered the door, and she left the woman outside and locked the door while she told the victim. The victim then answered the door and the suspect pushed her way into the house. The victim told her to leave and she refused so the man began videotaping the encounter. On the video, the woman is sitting on the victim's couch, and he asks her to leave five times and she refuses. When the victim said he was going to go get a neighbor to witness the incident, the suspect said she would leave and did so. The victim is adamant about prosecution and told police, "She had done this too many times."

BURGLARY. A car parked in a private driveway in the 600 block of Ardmore was reportedly burglarized between 8 p.m. Dec. 29 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 30. The victim told police she parked and locked her car, and returned to find her convertible top had been cut with a sharp object like a razor. She discovered two personal checks and her cell phone valued at $130 were missing. The estimated damage to the car's top is $1,500.

USE OF ACCESS CARD. A debit card belonging to a woman from Washington who was visiting Hermosa Beach was fraudulently used at a gas station in Los Angeles Dec. 31 at 1:30 a.m. The woman was at a bar with friends in Los Angeles when they all took a cab to Santa Monica. Just as soon as the woman got out of the taxicab, she realized that she left her purse in the car. She continued to where she was staying on Herondo Street in Hermosa Beach to call her bank and cancel the card. During the conversation, the bank informed her that the card had been used at a 76 gas station in Los Angeles. Also inside the purse was her identification, $120 in cash and lipstick.

BURGLARY. A 1999 BMW parked in a private parking space in the 400 block of Monterey Boulevard was reportedly burglarized between 9:30 p.m. Dec. 21 and 11 a.m. Dec. 22. The victim parked his car and returned the next day to find that his convertible top had been cut with a sharp object. The cost to fix the top is about $1,500.

The Beach Reporter – December 30, 2004

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch (12/30)

HOTEL ROBBERY. A man was arrested for robbing a person at gunpoint at a hotel in the 1300 block of The Strand Dec. 25 at around 2:50 a.m. Officers broadcast the description of the man and the car he was driving over the radio to other nearby police departments. A Redondo Beach officer spotted the truck heading south on Pacific Coast Highway from Pier Avenue. The officer attempted to stop the truck but the man failed to stop for several blocks. The man finally stopped, whereupon the officer arrested him. Police found a replica gun in the truck, the suspect's wallet and a sweatshirt the suspect was wearing at the time of the incident. Police discovered the truck had been stolen from the Long Beach area. Officers also found property from a Redondo Beach resident who told police he had been a victim of a robbery in Torrance several days earlier. Since the crime occurred in Hermosa Beach, officers from that city took the man into custody.

GARAGE BURGLARY. A garage in the 1000 block of Third Street was reportedly burglarized between 3 p.m. Dec. 27 and 8:15 a.m. Dec. 28. The victim told police he drove his car into his driveway and parked it there. He then exited it and walked into the garage in which the door was already open. Before exiting the garage through a rear door that leads to the house, the victim activated the remote to close the garage door, but the car had blocked the remote sensor so the garage never closed. The next day he noticed articles on the shelf had been moved around and some items missing.

STOLEN 'COKE' FURNITURE. A man reportedly stole a Coca-Cola table and two bar stools from outside a drug store in the 700 block of Pier Avenue at 9:47 p.m. Dec. 22. An employee from the store told police he went outside to retrieve some of the display items on the sidewalk in front of the store and saw the suspect loading the items into his car. The employee told him to stop. The suspect then pulled out two boxes containing the bar stools from the car and jumped inside. The car also contained two other suspects.

STOLEN CABLE. About 250 feet worth of welding cable was reportedly stolen from a business in the 400 block of Pacific Coast Highway between 5 p.m. Dec. 24 and 7:30 a.m. Dec. 27. The owner told police that someone had to take part of the cable from an unsecured storage box in a parking lot at the rear of the business Dec. 23 but he didn't report the crime because he thought if he secured the box it would deter future thefts. He instead placed seven wood crates on top of the storage box after securing its lid with screens. The victim left the business knowing the cable was secure, and returned to the business to find the wood crates were on the ground and the rest of the cable worth about $500 was missing.

HB Crime Reports for May to August of 2005

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