SANTA MONICA CRIME WATCH

Shots Fired on 5th Street

Santa Monica police say on 08/09/14 at about 6:05pm, their officers responded to the 1500 block of 5th St, regarding several 911 calls of shots being fired from an upper level apartment. They say when officers arrived, they found three spent shell casings on the ground in an adjacent alley. Lawmen report a brief moment later officers saw the suspect, Bennett Morehouse of Santa Monica, who fit the description of a man involved in an earlier disturbance call at the same building, walk out onto a balcony at the apartment building and then step back inside quickly.

Authorities say as officers prepared to knock on the front door of the apartment, an officer standing in the alley saw the Morehouse walk out onto the balcony again, so he began talking to him. Officers say Morehouse admitted to firing his handgun, then returned to his apartment and walked out the front door, where awaiting officers took him into custody. They say since the apartment door locked after the Morehouse walked out, officers broke down the door to check for any possible victims inside but did not find any.

Lawmen report Morehouse’s empty gun was found inside the apartment, but based on the shell casings the officers found in the alley, it was believed he fired his gun in a westerly direction from balcony.

Morehouse was charged with negligent discharge of a firearm and given a 35 thousand-dollar bail.

Exposure with a Side of Cabbage

Santa Monica police say on 08/10/14, at approximately 12:30AM, their officers responded to 4th ST and Colorado Ave, regarding an indecent exposure incident onboard a Big Blue Bus. Lawmen say when they arrived, they contacted both the victim and the suspect, Jose Vasquez of Los Angeles, inside the bus.

Authorities say the woman told the officers she was sitting on a bus seat and eating her lunch, when the Vasquez boarded the bus and sat down next to her. They say she wanted to be polite and believed Vasquez was hungry, so she offered him some of her salad. Lawmen report Vasquez took some salad but did not eat it right away, so the woman also gave him some cash. They say a short time later, she looked over and noticed Vasquez had exposed his genitalia and was using the cabbage from the salad to pleasure himself, that is when the woman became upset and notified the bus driver, who then contacted the police. Vasquez was then taken into custody, charged with indecent exposure and given a 10,000-dollar bail.

Broken Taillight Leads to Arrest for

Possession of a Dagger

Santa Monica Police say en 08/09/14 at approximately 3:00pm, officers traveling northbound on Lincoln Blvd saw a car ahead of them stopped for a red traffic signal at Michigan Ave and noticed one of the taillights were out. Officers say they stopped the car and, as they were speaking with the driver, saw a clear plastic capsule containing marijuana on the center console. Officers say they them ran the driver’s name, Charles Chiodo of Los Angeles and learned he was on parole for burglary and on probation for a weapons violation.

They say based on the Chiodo’s criminal history, and on the marijuana violation, the officers asked him to step out of the car so they could search him and the car. Lawmen report the officers asked Chiodo if there was any contraband or weapons in the car, and Chiodo removed a pair of gloves that were wrapped around an object from the driver’s side door panel and handed it to them. They say when the officers opened up the gloves, they found a screwdriver with a sharpened tip inside. Lawmen report Chiodo acknowledged the modified screwdriver could be used as a weapon, then said he carried it in his car because he is not legally allowed to own a gun. Chiodo was then taken into custody for possession of a dirk/dagger.