Santa Monica police arrested a 38-year-old homeless man who was in the process of breaking into a van on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a report of vehicle burglary in progress in the 2200 block of Third Street at 10:14 pm on this day.
The reporting party had witnessed the suspect break into a parked, white colored van on the street.
The reporting party stayed on the phone while the officers responded and were able to confirm with dispatch that the officers had arrived at the scene and were investigating.
The officers located the suspect inside the white van and detained him while they contacted the rightful owner of the white van.
The rightful owner of the white van confirmed with the officers that he did not know the suspect and had not given this man permission to enter the white van.
The officers arrested this homeless man and he was charged with vehicular burglary. It was not known at time of going to press whether or not bail was granted.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of The Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.