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Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: Vanishing Vodka and Rotated Tires

A woman leaves Ralph's without paying for alcohol and a taxi driver has his cab's tires downgraded overnight.

Unwanted tire rotation:
A South Bay Yellow Cab driver reported that June 6 he parked his taxi on Parkview Avenue after his shift ended. At the start of his next shift, around 5 a.m. the following day, he discovered that the car's two front tires had been changed from new Triangle brand tires to old Imax tires and that the 2010 Manhattan Beach Cab permit was missing. The driver, who alternates use of the taxi with another cabbie, also reported the incident to the car's owner.

Absolut theft:

On June 11, police responded to a report of theft at Ralph's on Sepulveda Boulevard. At around 9 p.m., a Ralph's employee reported seeing a woman walk into the store and head straight to the alcoholic beverage section. The woman took a 750 ml bottle of Absolut raspberry vodka ($26) from the display shelf, the employee said, and placed it in her purse, waiting several minutes before exiting the store without paying. Ralph's employees were waiting outside and detained the woman until police arrived.

Targeted purse:
On June 11, a woman was reportedly browsing in the clothing department of Target when she put her black leather purse in the basket of her shopping cart. She told police she turned away to look at some clothes, and when she looked back at her cart her purse was missing. She did not see anyone steal her purse, and the theft was not caught on the store's surveillance cameras. After later calling her bank to close her checking account, the woman was informed of a fraudulent $219.49 charge on her Visa debit card made at a Radio Shack in Hawthorne.

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Fixing one mistake with another:
On June 12, an employee of Fry's Electronics reported that a man had hidden store items in his pants pockets and left without paying for them. The suspect reportedly told police he stole the merchandise because he had ruined one of his customer's laptops and needed the items to fix the computer. Police reported that the man had enough cash in his wallet to pay for the stolen items, which included chemical tip tinner and soldering paste.

Oh brother, where art my belongings:
On June 12, a woman reported a Coach bag, jewelry and Apple iPad missing from her car, which was parked along 14th Street. She told police she had given her brother permission to get something out of the passenger compartment. The woman later went to the car, she said, and found that all the doors were unlocked. The woman's brother said he had forgotten to lock them. Two days later, the woman called police to report that she was trying to track her iPad through its MobileMe feature, but that it had apparently not been turned on since the theft.

Bike, car seat thefts:
June 12: A beach cruiser with an attached pink basket, drink holder and a bike lock was stolen from a residence's two-car garage along the 200 block of El Porto Street.

June 14: A man reported damage to the driver side door handle of his locked Chevy Suburban, which was parked at his place of work in the 1200 block of Rosecrans Avenue. No property was reported missing from the vehicle.

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June 15: A man reported the third row seat from his Cadillac Escalade had been  stolen while parked in the 500 block of 1st Street. Police reported no signs of forced entry.

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