Local News Briefs

Piano atop Santa Monica Mountains Taken Down

A piano discovered by hikers at the top of the Santa Monica Mountains for a music video shoot has been removed.

The group who lugged it to the site brought it back down the trail overnight into Sunday after they say authorities asked them to remove it.

Michael Faner, who took part in the night hike, posted a photo of a dog on the piano and said the instrument is back in his possession.

Hikers had taken pictures of the so-called mystery piano and posted them to social media. No one knew how the piano got there until the group came forward, explaining they lugged the piano up the trail for a Rachel Wong music video.

Close Shave Leads to Felony Arrest

by David Ganezer

ON the morning of March 25, 2015, the victim, a 30 year resident of Santa Monica originally from Germany, found Ignacio Arguelles shaving in his bathroom, at his house on Norman Place. "What are you doing?" asked the resident. "I just needed a place to shave," said the suspect, who then fled carrying a bag of miscellaneous electronics and other items

When the man's wife discovered some jewelry missing, they called the Santa Monica Police, who arrested the man for burglary.

Arguelles' public defender pointed out that the victim did not actually see him with any of the missing items, and that he had a razor. So it seemed like he was telling the truth. The Judge, Mark Worksman in Dept. D of the LAX Courthouse, held on March 30th that his excuse did not make sense. "99% of the time when people break into a house, they want to steal something."

The Judge set bail at $50,000, and set the matter for jury trial on May 1, 2015.

Homeless Man Arrest for Sleeping in Beach Restroom

A 57-year-old homeless man sleeping in a beach restroom was arrested after threatening a Santa Monica City employee with a gun once he was roused.

On Saturday, March 21, in the early morning hours, officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were called out to the 2800 block of Santa Monica Beach to investigate a report of a disturbance.

A Santa Monica City employee had made the report.

Upon arrival the City employee told the officers that he had been cleaning the beach restrooms when he had chanced upon a homeless man who had been using the restrooms as sleeping accommodation.

The City employee told the officers that he had attempted to awaken the sleeping suspect and when the man arose he began to curse at the City employee and had then threatened to shoot the City employee with what appeared to be a black gun that he had removed from a bag that he was carrying.

The officers went in search of the employee and soon discovered the suspect nearby.

The officers spoke with this man and he confessed to have made the threats.

The suspect was charged with making threats and using an imitation firearm to make threats. Bail was set at $50,000.

Homeless Man Threatens City

Employee with Fake Gun

On the morning of March 21, officers responded to the 2800 block of the beach for a disturbance reported by a City beach worker.

The City employee told officers he was trying to clean the restrooms and asked a homeless man if he could temporarily relocate. The homeless man cursed the City employee and threatened to shoot him in the face while removing a black gun from his bag. Officers detained the homeless man nearby who admitted to making the threat and told officers the gun was fake.

Officers placed him under arrest and located a plastic replica gun nearby in the sand. Jerry Hickman, homeless, had bail set at $50,000