Police Beat: Busy weekend, GPS stalker, Lyft driver robbed
by Liz Mullin
Busy weekend in Hermosa
Hermosa Beach Police Department officers responded to 342 calls over the Memorial Day weekend, HBPD Chief Paul LeBaron told the City Council Tuesday.
HBPD officers also made 48 traffic stops, 17 subject stops and wrote 16 citations and 35 reports — including six for hit-and-run — and made seven arrests over the three-day weekend.
“The arrests were made for crimes including narcotics possession, outstanding warrant, burglary, auto theft, a juvenile riding an electric motorcycle without a license. assault with a deadly weapon, theft of an e-bike and assault,” LeBaron said.
“We also responded to three calls in one day about two roommates that had a dispute which resulted in them pepper-spraying each other,” LeBaron said. “They could not seem to get along with each other and we had to go out there and keep the peace three different times.”
HBPD officers responded to three medical emergencies, one of which required an officer to do CPR on a person in distress. “Unfortunately, two of those calls that the officers responded to resulted in death investigations,” LeBaron said.
Additionally, officers responded to an e-bike accident at Pier Avenue and PCH in which the juvenile rider was transported to the hospital with “significant injuries,” LeBaron said. PCH was closed down while an investigation was conducted.
HBPD stops stalker using GPS tracker
HBPD officers arrested a suspect who had been following a Hermosa resident and tracking the resident’s movements using a GPS device that had been surreptitiously placed on the victim’s car.
The Hermosa resident called HBPD about a suspicious person who had followed the resident home from work. Detectives began an investigation over the Memorial Day weekend, Chief LeBaron told the city council Tuesday night.
“The victim’s car was being followed by the suspect through the use of a GPS tracker that was secretly installed on the victim’s car without their consent or knowledge,” LeBaron said.
“The suspect and victim did not know each other,” LeBaron said. “In addition to the GPS tracker on the car, the suspect also had tracking software,” LeBaron said.
“We are investigating why the victim was being followed,” LeBaron said. “What I want the community to know … this is a very uncommon crime. I don’t think we’ve seen this before, so it is not a trend.”
Lyft driver robbed in Manhattan Beach
A Lyft driver who picked up two passengers in Manhattan Beach was punched and robbed earlier this month.
The driver arrived at the 3800 block of Crest Drive on May 18 to pick up the fare and two subjects entered the car. But then they punched the driver and took the driver’s cell phone.
A getaway car was waiting for the robbers near the Lyft pickup. They got into that car and drove away. Later, the Lyft driver found someone attempting to make a fraudulent charge to the driver’s bank account.
The driver was able to stop the fraudulent charge before it was completed.
On May 19, MBPD was called to CVS about a suspect who was walking around the store, concealing items. Upon arrival, officers saw the suspect and a companion leave in a vehicle and the officers made a traffic stop.
MBPD officers found items from the CVS, as well as stolen items from Bristol Farms inside the vehicle. The vehicle also contained different identification cards and drug paraphernalia. The two were arrested on various charges, including organized retail theft.
MBPD officers and detectives have been focusing on organized retail theft in the city. On May 17, the MBPD detectives staged an undercover operation in the Rosecrans corridor and observed a theft in progress at the BevMo, which resulted in an arrest.
Redondo PD arrests disrobed woman
A woman who broke into a locked and occupied home began taking her clothes off when Redondo Beach Police Department officers arrived on the scene.
The woman, who was arrested, had first tried to break into a Nissan SUV parked at the residence on the 800 block of Knob Hill on May 14.
When the car alarm sounded, she broke into the home and threw water bottles and other items into the residence. In addition to trying to strip in front of RBPD officers, she threw a rock at them.
On May 5, a man and woman, both described as between 30 to 40 years old, used bolt cutters to crack a Kryptonite lock and steal an e-bike from a parking garage on the 600 block of the Esplanade on May 5. The Aviation Pace E-bike 500 had been secured to a pole in the garage.
Burglars broke into three locked vehicles and four other vehicles that were possibly unlocked to steal a variety of items in different parts of Redondo Beach between May 10 and May 16.
A 1999 Chevy pickup truck, a 2024 Volkswagen SUV and a 2020 GMC pickup truck were stolen in different areas of the city during the week. ER