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1996 Annual Report
Office of Criminal Investigations

The Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) is responsible for the apprehension of criminals through investigation, recovery of stolen property, and preparation and presentation of evidence in criminal court cases. Commanded by a captain and a lieutenant. OCI is divided into the Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Property and Investigative Support sections. A case manager reviews all cases and determines which ones will be investigated by detectives.

Crimes Against Persons

The Crimes Against Persons Section is staffed by one sergeant and nine detectives. They investigate homicides, aggravated assaults, missing persons, robberies, sex crimes, domestic violence and miscellaneous crimes. This year, OCI reorganized the Crimes Against Persons Section, expanding responsibilities of detectives and enhancing their ability to investigate major crimes. The new plan called for detectives assigned to the section to be divided into two groups: one group handling robberies and homicides and the other group concentrating on sexual and other assaults. The organizational structure increased the expertise of each detective and spread the responsibilities of major cases.

A number of noteworthy cases were investigated by the Robbery/Homicide Unit this year. In January, a gang-related shooting in the 1700 block of Delaware occurred. Two individuals were shot, and one male died from his wounds. Two members of a gang called "Sotel" were arrested after it was discovered that the victims and suspects had attended a party in Venice at which a dispute over gang affiliations arose. The victims were followed to Santa Monica where they were shot. The suspects are awaiting trial for murder. Also, in January, two suspects pled guilty to charges in the death of an associate. The suspects were the suppliers of the drugs the victim took prior to his death.

In November, OCI personnel were involved in a multi-victim robbery and carjacking. The two suspects went on a crime spree which resulted in a pursuit by officers who were being fired upon by the suspects. At the conclusion of the pursuit, the suspects crashed into an abandoned house. One suspect was killed and the second suspect was wounded and taken into custody. Both suspects were ex-felons with extensive criminal histories. The surviving suspect was charged with over 17 major crimes including: murder with special circumstances, attempted murder, multiple robberies and carjackings. The court case is pending.

On July 26, a suspect was arrested for eight bank robberies. He was identified when detectives noted that the bank surveillance photo looked like a suspect who had been arrested on a prior Santa Monica case. On August 7, while on trial for bank robbery charges, the defendant escaped from the court house. He was arrested during the commission of a bank robbery on August 20 and taken into custody again. A "third striker", he faces a 200-year sentence. On August 16, four suspects were arrested for the attempted robbery of the First Professional Bank in Santa Monica. The suspects were known as the Student Loan Bandits and were "8 Trey Crip" gang members. They were involved in a series of bank robberies in which the bank loan officer was forced to remove money from the bank vault. The suspects were taken into custody.

Another suspect was arrested for three robberies in the Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and Artesia areas. He was also being investigated as the suspect in a murder. After his arrest, he confessed to the murder as well as the robberies. The cases were tied together by detectives who noted similarities in the description of the suspects.

A suspect was identified as being responsible for robbing a dry cleaning business in Santa Monica and several small business robberies in West Los Angeles. He had two prior armed robbery convictions. When arrested for the Santa Monica robbery, he was wanted for a parole violation. In July, four suspects were arrested for the robbery of the Petco Pet Supply Store. These suspects were linked to over 15 robberies in cities from Arizona and California. Due to an outstanding job by the identification technician, a crucial fingerprint was lifted from a cat litter box at the scene of the crime. In another case, the Saint Johns Hospital cashier suffered a loss of more than $80,000 in currency. The investigation led to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of approximately $48,000. The trial of the suspects is pending. Overall, there were 438 reported robberies in Santa Monica and the clearance rate was an impressive 40% percent.

Detectives assigned to the Sexual Assaults Unit investigated a gang rape and robbery which occurred in the 400 block of the beach. The suspects were San Fernando Valley gang members. After an intense investigation by detectives, three suspects were arrested. Due to cooperative efforts with the Los Angeles Police Department, one suspect was also identified for his involvement in other Los Angeles robberies and a gang-related murder.

In October, a registered sex offender on parole was identified in a series of cases in which he exposed himself to pre-school and elementary school children. The suspect was responsible for cases in Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Culver City, Westchester and Redondo Beach. He was arrested after a lengthy vehicle pursuit involving several agencies and is awaiting trial at this time.

A registered sex offender who posed as a masseur was convicted of three counts of rape with a foreign object and one count of sexual battery. He is a "three striker" and was sentenced to 111 years in prison. Another repeat/registered sex offender, recently released from prison after serving a long sentence for rape, was arrested after he raped and assaulted a young New Hampshire college student visiting Santa Monica. He was arrested and positively identified in a photo line-up. He is now facing life in prison because of the multiple strike law.

Crimes Against Property

The Crimes Against Property Section is comprised of the following units: Bunco/Forgery, Burglary, Auto Theft, Warrants and Juvenile investigations. The section has one sergeant and 10 detectives assigned to investigate these crimes.

The Bunco/Forgery Unit investigates all offenses involving checks, credit cards and counterfeit documents as well as bunco schemes. Staff works closely with the City Attorney and District Attorney's Consumer Protection Sections to ensure the public is protected from telemarketing and similar scams. Generally, the unit's investigations are very complicated and time consuming.

The unit investigated a rash of counterfeit VISA travelers' checks. By researching the location where the checks were used and the description of the suspects involved in passing the checks, detectives, working with the Secret Service, arrested an employee of a local copying business and recovered $125,000 worth of counterfeit travelers' checks.

This year, detectives assisted the City Attorney's Office in a limousine sting. Limousine drivers operating in Santa Monica without a license or in violation of other consumer fraud violations were cited. The sting was put into place after numerous complaints were received by citizens and tourists. In addition to the limousine sting, detectives also conducted a taxi sting. Taxi cabs were cited for operating without a valid driver's license or Santa Monica business license, not having a police permit or general equipment violations. The first sting was conducted in July and was so successful that a second sting was conducted in September. A total of 36 violations was recorded.

The Burglary Unit investigates residential, commercial and auto burglaries. In addition, the unit handles grand theft, malicious mischief and larceny.

A burglary suspect was arrested and charged in 19 cases of commercial burglary. Through excellent work by identification technicians, he was identified by latent prints left at each scene.

Six suspects were taken into custody for a series of commercial burglaries in which they smashed windows and entered businesses. The suspects were responsible for cases in Santa Monica and surrounding jurisdictions.

The section conducted an investigation of Airborne Express with the company's security personnel. The crime involved employees of Airborne Express stealing computers from the company's Santa Monica facility and then selling them to employees at a computer store in Santa Monica. A joint undercover investigation was conducted that resulted in the arrest of three computer store employees for receiving stolen property and the arrest of one Airborne Express employee for grand theft. Detectives recovered six lap top computers valued at $24,000. All four suspects pled guilty before the preliminary hearing.

Pawn tickets serve as a useful tool in apprehending burglary suspects. By auditing pawn slips, detectives find invaluable leads which help to identify burglars and recover victims' property. This year, several descriptions of stolen property were matched with pawned items. For example, during a routine review of pawn slips, a detective observed a diamond ring listed on a pawn slip. The detective recalled seeing a similarly described ring on a bulletin published by LAPD's Pacific Division. The ring and the bulletin's description matched, and the $25,000 ring was recovered and returned to the victim.

The Auto Theft Unit investigates offenses involving the unlawful taking and use of motor vehicles. This includes crimes ranging from embezzlement to the actual or attempted theft of a vehicle. The detective assigned to auto theft continually communicates with other local, state and federal agencies to ensure that information concerning regional auto theft patterns is shared

Detectives also investigated four suspects who were found by arresting officers to be in possession of burglary tools, a possible stolen car stereo and a car with an altered vehicle identification number (VIN). The vehicle was identified as a disguised stolen vehicle which was taken from Santa Monica a few weeks earlier. Upon interviewing the suspects, detectives determined that an additional vehicle was stolen in Santa Monica only minutes prior to their arrest. The stolen vehicle and the personal property of the first victim were recovered and all four suspects were convicted of felonies.

The unit conducted a follow-up investigation of a grand theft auto recovery. Investigation led to the arrest of a suspect for three carjackings in Long Beach. The suspect's arrest also led to the recovery of four stolen vehicles which were all taken in the carjackings.

The Department assigns one full-time detective to the Task Force for Regional Auto Theft Prevention (TRAP), a multi-agency group. In September, TRAP officers brought a major investigation to a conclusion. They were investigating a large group of loosely organized suspects who would purchase stripped or wrecked vehicles from insurance salvage auctions, then steal similar vehicles, strip the needed components from the stolen vehicles and use them to rebuild the salvage vehicles. The shells from the stolen vehicles were then dumped on the street and the rebuilt cars were sold locally to unsuspecting, third party purchasers or transported to Central America.

Their investigation led to the identification of more than 50 persons associated with the group, and felony filings against more than 20 of the suspects were made. Some of the suspects fled the country prior to the complaints being issued. Detectives recovered stolen components and victims' property from approximately 100 vehicles valued at close to $270,000. Many of the vehicles were stolen from victims in Santa Monica. Approximately 20 cars and trucks were seized in the investigation and released for use to TRAP or to the Department. Most of the vehicles stolen by the suspects were newer model Hondas, Acuras, and Nissans that had a total value of more than 1.5 million dollars.

TRAP detectives received information regarding a suspect attempting to sell a car through a photo classified newspaper which was possibly a disguised stolen. Detectives met with the suspect in Santa Monica and determined it was a disguised stolen taken in a Las Vegas home invasion robbery. The suspect was arrested as he was out on bail for a major child abuse incident. He was also linked to a felony assault in which he rammed his vehicle repeatedly into the victim's car. The suspect pled guilty to felony child abuse, vehicle theft and assault.

The Juvenile Unit consists of two detectives who investigate sexual assault/abuse, physical abuse, pornography, neglect, endangerment and abduction cases involving juveniles. Their duties also include investigating cases of minor juvenile offenses. Examples of these cases are petty thefts, narcotics, alcohol-related crimes and truancy.

Due to the recent Megan's Law legislation, juvenile detectives have spent a significant amount of time investigating and verifying the whereabouts of registered sex offenders or child molesters living in Santa Monica.

The Warrant/Extradition Unit's primary responsibility is serving arrest warrants and extraditing suspects arrested in other jurisdictions. The detective assigned to the unit also issues taxi licenses and verifies insurance for both the cab company and the driver. The City has gone to an "Open City" policy which allows an unlimited number of cab drivers to work in the City. This year, 400 licenses were issued for cab companies and 500 for cab drivers. The detective is responsible for inspecting the vehicle and enforcing cab violations. He also issues licenses to pawn shop dealers, second hand dealers, catering trucks, valet attendants and vendors. Additionally, he is assigned petty theft cases.

Investigative Support

The Investigative Support Section consists of the Case Management Officer, Court Liaison, Family Violence Coordinator, Youth Services Investigator, Investigative Analyst and a Transcriber typist.

Through a process called Case Management, OCI reviews all cases in which the possibility of a criminal filing exists. It is the Case Management Officer who makes the determination if solvability factors are present. If the factors are present and a follow-up is warranted, the case is referred to a detective. Otherwise, the case is suspended until such time as more leads become available. A case is considered cleared when a suspect is either arrested or identified, even if the case cannot be prosecuted due to legal constraints.

The Court Liaison is responsible for management of the pre-trial conference program. The program evaluates pending court cases and eliminates unnecessary witness court time while ensuring that officers and witnesses appear in court when needed.

The Domestic Violence Coordinator educates physicians and other medical care providers on mandatory reporting laws relating to family violence. The coordinator also teaches at the schools on the subject of family violence. Last year, a new program was initiated at McKinley Elementary School. The program was designed to reach out to non-English speaking parents and inform them of laws concerning family violence and child abuse. The target audience continued to be Latin, Asian and Russian families. Attendance at the session was very high.

Two training lectures were organized relating to family violence this year. The first was a training seminar on identifying burns resulting from child abuse. The guest speaker was Dr. Matt Young of the Grossman Burn Center. The training was well attended by police, fire, school, and medical personnel as well as personnel from the District Attorney's Office. In November, the second training was given by Paul Mones, attorney and author of When a Child Kills and Stalking Justice. Mr. Mones is a leading expert and lecturer in child abuse, intra-family violence and the effects on children who witness domestic violence homicides. His trial work focused on abused teenagers who kill their parents.

The Youth Services Investigator provides support to the Juvenile Unit. Young offenders and their families are given counseling to divert the youths from the juvenile justice system. The investigator evaluates the offender and his or her home environment, school progress, and attitude to decide if there is a need for a referral or imposing a more structured sanction. Community service is often an option, with many young people assigned to the Graffiti Detail, which is a crew supervised by police cadets that paint over graffiti on public property.

This year, the position of Investigative Analyst was added to OCI. The Investigative Analyst is responsible for a variety of duties. A high percentage of her time is devoted to updating the sex registrant file and coordinating changes with the Department of Justice. She works closely with a computer programmer on an automated sex registrant and juvenile contact system, and also liaisons with a myriad of law enforcement agencies on criminal investigations.

OCI continued to foster communication between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Dialogue was encouraged by hosting meetings of Westside gang, robbery, sexual assault and burglary investigators.

The transcriber typist processes all juvenile matters, enters juvenile arrest information in the Department of Justice computer and compiles monthly juvenile activity reports. She is responsible for transcribing staff reports as well as supplemental reports by detectives.

Case Clearances

FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) rules allow a case to be cleared by "arrest" or by "exceptional means." To be "cleared by arrest," at least one person is arrested, charged with the commission of the offense, and turned over to the court for prosecution. Although no physical arrest is made, a clearance by "arrest" can be claimed when the offender is a person under 18 years of age and is cited to appear in juvenile court or before other juvenile authorities. The number of offenses, not the number of persons arrested, are counted for case clearance purposes.

An "exceptional means" clearance must meet all of the following criteria: The investigation definitely established the identify of the offender; there is enough information to support arresting, charging and turning the case over to the court for prosecution; the exact location of the offender is known so that he/she could be taken into custody now; and there is some reason outside of law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging, and prosecuting the offender.

Table 2 below displays the case clearance records from 1990 to 1994. In 1994, there were 1,476 Part I crimes cleared out of the 8,887 which occurred, a 16.6% clearance rate. In a year, some crime categories may have relatively small numbers, e.g., homicide, which may result in a case clearance rate greater than 100%. This is due to the fact that crimes may occur during one year and, through a continuing investigation, be solved in an ensuing year. The crime itself is recorded during the year in which it occurs, but the case is reported cleared when an arrest is made or the offender is identified.

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This page was last modified on 01/26/2008