Police Beat: Little League fast one, Uber getaway car, car as weapon
by Liz Mullen
The Manhattan Beach Little League’s pitching machine was stolen sometime between April 16 and April 17. The machine was kept in a locked wooden shed at Live Oak Park on the 1900 block of Valley Drive. The shed was pried open.
The MBPD is seeking the public’s help regarding an apparent hate crime at Sand Dune Park on April 25. Police were alerted to the incident by viewing a Nextdoor post with a photo depicting a noose hanging from a tree with a sign bearing racial slurs. Officers went to an isolated part of the park, away from street view, as depicted in the photo, but did not find a noose.
Officers did, however, find a sign with racial slurs on it. City workers removed the sign.
MBPD Sgt. Abreu said he can’t remember any similar incident occurring in Manhattan Beach. “The public should know we take these matters seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation,” Abreu said. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to call MBPD Detective Seth Hartnell at (310) 802-5127.
On April 22, a woman was the victim of attempted assault with a deadly weapon — a car. The woman was in the crosswalk in the area of 10th Street and Peck Avenue when a car intentionally swerved towards her, nearly hitting her.
A few blocks away, this same vehicle attempted to hit the woman, again. This time the car drove towards the woman at a high rate of speed. The woman was not injured and believes she is the victim of intimidation.
On April 20, three men were drinking at a Sepulveda bar. When the three left the bar two of the supposed drinking buddies pushed the third to the ground and took the victim’s one-wheeled skateboard.
The two drove off in a vehicle while the victim called MBPD. Officers arrived on scene and broadcast the crime and a description of the vehicle to other police agencies. A neighboring agency pulled over the suspects’ vehicle and both were arrested for robbery and taken to the MBPD jail. The victim did not require medical attention.
Also during the week of April 18 through April 24, Manhattan Beach Police Department officers handled a spate of garage burglaries, including:
On April 18, two electric bikes were stolen from a garage on the 500 block of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
On April 18 or April 19, a garage on the 1000 block of Rosecrans Avenue, which may have been unlocked, was entered and an electric bicycle was stolen. A vehicle in the garage, which also was unlocked, was ransacked.
On April 21 on the 100 block of Moonstone Street, a garage which is usually kept unlocked, was entered. Two skateboards, a longboard, three bottles of wine, two beach chairs, a spike ball and a box of water were stolen.
“The MBPD is investigating these garage burglaries and at this time we do not know if it’s one person or a group,” MBPD Sgt. Andy Abreu told the Easy Reader.
Redondo robber calls Uber for getaway
A robber entered a business on the 300 block of Harbor Drive on April 12 and stole multiple items from a victim, including the victim’s wallet, passport and Social Security card.
The robber left the scene of the crime in an Uber, but the victim followed. Both got out of their vehicles and the robber punched the victim in the face and then fled on foot.
A residential burglar or burglars entered an occupied residence on the 500 block of Francisca Avenue in the middle of the night on April 15 by removing a screen on an open window.
The burglar or burglars stole a Hammet purse and wallet, Tom Ford sunglasses, an Apple iPad, Range Rover car keys, an Apple iPhone 12 and a Lenovo laptop computer.
There were at least six vehicle burglaries in the city between April 9 and April 13 with burglars stealing multiple items including sunglasses, sunscreen, a computer, credit and debit cards, U.S. currency and a rear license plate.
There were also eight catalytic converters cut out of vehicles at various locations in Redondo Beach during this time period.
HBPD returns rental agency’s, forgetful driver’s cars
Hermosa Beach Police Department officers arrested a suspect who had been driving a rental car on the 1200 block of Aviation Boulevard on April 7.
The rental car had been due back at the rental agency over a month ago and was reported as stolen.
Also on April 7 on the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway, a suspect was shopping and received change, including a $20 bill.
The subject then tried to use the $20 bill to buy something else and found out it was counterfeit.
HBPD officers made a traffic stop and found the driver did not have a driver’s license and was on parole. While officers were bringing the suspect to the police station the suspect was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and was arrested.
HBPD officers found and returned to the owner a wallet and a car that the owner mistakenly thought was stolen. The car was found near where the owner had parked it. ER