Police Arrest Alleged Bike Thieves; Stop Stolen Car

Manhattan Beach Police officers recently made five arrests: two on suspicion of attempted petty theft and possession of burglary tools; one for suspicion of possessing stolen property; one for alleged public intoxication and another for alleged theft and unlawful taking or driving a vehicle, allegedly falsely representing or identifying herself as someone else to a peace officer and escaping or attempting to escape from a peace officer knowing that you have been lawfully arrested.

The incident involving the stolen car began when MBPD Officer Nicholas Braasch saw a vehicle being driven without its lights on in the 1700 block of Pacific Avenue around 2:58 a.m. on Saturday, May 19. When he attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver "abruptly stopped in the middle of the street" and the driver and front passenger fled on foot, according to Officer Stephanie Martin, MBPD's public information officer.

Police then set up a "containment" and searched the area with K-9 units and officers from surrounding agencies, including Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Gardena, El Segundo and Redondo Beach.

The vehicle turned out to be an unreported stolen vehicle, said Martin.

At 7:47 a.m., police took the female passenger into custody. The driver was not apprehended.

In another incident, officers responded to a bicycle theft in progress in the 100 block of 13th Street at 9:28 p.m. on Monday, May 21. Officer Keith Kugley detained two males and one female, who was determined not to be involved in the attempted bicycle theft but was arrrested for public intoxication.

The two men were arrested for attempted petty theft and alleged possession of burglary tools after bolt cutters were recovered nearby. 

On Tuesday, May 22 at 4:42 a.m., Officer Jesse Garcia stopped a subject in the 1800 block of Second Street and the individual was "subsequently arrested for suspicion possessing of stolen property," in this instance,  a bicycle.