SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department is asking for the public’s help to locate a suspect responsible for a jewelry robbery that occurred on Wednesday, February 28. Lt. Saul Rodriguez of the SMPD indicated in a press release to Canyon News that at around 5:36 p.m., the Department responded to a radio call for service at the 1600 block of Montana Avenue regarding “Suspicious Circumstances” at ‘Curated Los Angeles.’ Officers arrived on the scene and determined a male suspect entered the establishment holding a suspicious device. The suspect demanded merchandise from a store employee and was given merchandise.
The suspect argued with the employee and fled the store with the suspicious device. The suspect dropped the merchandise in the store, while fleeing the location. The suspect entered a vehicle and fled northbound on 15th Street hitting several parked cars along the way. The car stopped after striking a parked car on the 300 block of 15th Street. The suspect exited the car and fled on foot northbound into the residential area.
As the first responding officer checked the vehicle, he spotted a suspicious device on the ground next to the driver’s side of the car. A perimeter was established around the immediate area by officials. SMPD’s K9 and SWAT Teams were activated to search for the suspect. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad arrived on the scene for the suspicious device which was detonated by the bomb squad and is still under investigation for its contents.
The suspect remains at large. He is described as a Hispanic or Caucasian male, 30 years-old, 5 feet and 9 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark colored shorts. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.
