Burglary Arrest Information – Palisades Fire Evacuation Zones
January 15, 2025 2:14 PM
From January 7th through today, Santa Monica Police Department officers stopped hundreds of individuals in the city’s evacuation zones, leading to more than 40 arrests. All individuals arrested were in the zones in violation to the legal emergency orders; most were also violating the city [Santa Monica Municipal Code 2.16.100(2)] and county curfew orders. Officers may detain and/ or arrest unauthorized subjects in the evacuation area at any time. The Santa Monica city curfew is sunset to sunrise.
Ten subjects were arrested for burglary. The following are details related to the four burglary/attempted burglary incidents and corresponding arrests. Booking photos for all subjects in this release are attached.
Date/Time of Incident: Wednesday, January 8th
Type of Incident: Traffic Stop
Location: 200 Block 18th Street
Suspects/Charges:
Navarro, Sergio Antonio (Oct-26-2995) 11377 H&S – Drug Possession / 11364 H&S – Drug Paraphernalia / 459 PC – Burglary / 182.1 PC – Conspiracy
Montoya, Erick Daniel (Nov-19-1995) 459 PC – Burglary / 182.1 PC – Conspiracy / Warrant
Alarcon, David Fabian (Jun-26-1997) 11364 H&S – Drug Paraphernalia / 459 PC – Burglary / 182.1 PC – Conspiracy
At about 7:50 PM, officers were dispatched to a residence under construction in the 200 Block of 18th Street regarding a prowler now. The reporting party, an alarm company, was viewing camera footage and saw an intruder on the 2nd floor of the residence. The subject was described as male Black wearing a baseball cap and cross-body backpack. As officers responded northbound on 18th Street from Georgina, they observed a 2017 white Dodge Journey parked in front of the call location. As they approached the vehicle, the vehicle entered the roadway and made an eastbound turn on San Vicente Blvd. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and its three occupants. The driver of the vehicle was later identified as David Alarcon. The front passenger was identified as Sergio Navarro. Navarro was in possession of methamphetamine and a meth pipe. The back right passenger was identified as Erick Montoya, who was wearing a baseball cap and had a cross-body backpack on his person. Montoya had an outstanding arrest warrant for Petty Theft out of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Officers collected Montoya's cross-body backpack from the backseat of the vehicle. It contained multiple identification cards and bank cards belonging to other victims. Officers conducted a records check of victim names and connected the stolen IDs and bank cards to a vehicle burglary reported in October 2024 and a vehicle burglary reported on January 8th in the 200 Block of 22nd Street (inside the evacuation zone).
Date/Time of Incident: Thursday, January 9th
Type of Incident: Traffic Stop – Evacuation Area
Location: 10th Street / Carlyle
Suspects/Charges:
Dorantes, Miguel Angel (May-07-2002) 459 PC- Burglary
Pacheco Magana, Dominic (Sep-30-2006) 459 PC- Burglary
At 4:39 PM, officers assigned to the mandatory evacuation area observed a white cargo van fail to stop at the intersection of 11th and Carlyle. The officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and found it occupied by Dorantes, the driver, and Pacheco Magana in the passenger seat. Neither were in possession of identification. The vehicle was missing the front license plate and displayed stolen registration stickers. During the investigation, Pacheco Magana was seen using the Watch Duty app on his phone. The app shows maps of active fires and evacuation zones, including the zones in Santa Monica. Officers searched the vehicle and located a black ski mask in between the driver's seat and passenger seat. They located a pair of black Nike nylon gloves in the driver's side door. While searching the cargo area of the van, officers located three large Amazon freight tote bags and black t-shirts. Based on the items located inside the vehicle, the location of the vehicle stop, the ski mask, and the attempt to conceal their identity and avoid detection by removing the license plate, officers arrested the duo for being in the mandatory evacuation area with the specific intent to commit residential burglaries.
Date/Time of Incident: Thursday, January 9th
Type of Incident: Traffic Stop
Location: 200 Block of Euclid Street
Suspects/Charges:
Ortiz, David Michael (Sep-15-2006) 459 PC- Burglary / 182.1 PC- Conspiracy
Segura, Jose Alberto (Dec-05-2005) 459 PC- Burglary / 182.1 PC- Conspiracy
Valdez Ponce, Yancarlos Jr (Nov-07-2006) 459 PC- Burglary / 182.1 PC- Conspiracy
Montesinos, Junior Abades (Jul-13-2006) 459 PC- Burglary / 182.1 PC- Conspiracy
Officers observed a Toyota Camry registered to an address in Los Angeles driving southbound in the 200 Block of Euclid in violation of the mandatory evacuation order and city curfew. The officers performed an investigative stop of the vehicle. While speaking with the driver, later identified as David Manuel Ortiz, he advised he had an airsoft pistol inside of the vehicle. There were three additional people in the vehicle. All the occupants exited the vehicle and were patted down for weapons. Officers found a black ski mask and a flashlight. The officers performed a consensual search of the vehicle and located the airsoft pistol. They also located a headlamp in the center console, a portable light, a tan Glock airsoft pistol from the rear pouch of the front passenger seat, a black ski mask from the rear pouch of the front passenger seat, a black latex glove from the rear pouch of the front passenger seat, handheld black window breaker with a belt cutting ability from the rear pouch of the driver seat, and a second window breaker from the rear pouch of the driver seat. Based on the items discovered in the vehicle as well as the violations of the evacuation zone and curfew orders, the officers formed the opinion that the occupants of the vehicle were casing and looking for the opportunity to burglarize an unattended residence or vehicle.
Date/Time of Incident: Saturday, January 11th
Type of Incident: Burglary
Location: 400 Block San Vicente
Suspect/Charges:
Love, Joshua Kaliel (May-09-1995) 459 PC – Burglary / 466 PC – Possession of Burglary Tools / 1203.2 PC – Probation Violation
At 10:00 PM, a Santa Monica Traffic Services Officer was flagged down by a witness who reported a subject in a breezeway at an apartment building in the 400 Block of San Vicente. The subject was seen going through cabinets in the common area and garage of the building. Responding officers located a subject matching the witness’s description in the alley rear in the 600 Block of San Vicente Boulevard. The subject, later identified as Love, saw officers and ran. He was eventually detained without incident. Love consented to a search of his person and was found to be in possession of a gold-colored window punch, a common burglary tool. Love was also in possession of one blue mechanic glove and a ski mask. Officers canvassed the area and located the matching blue mechanic glove. One of the officers on scene recognized Love from an encounter on January 10th when the officer advised Love about the curfew and evacuation orders. He was arrested at that time for possession of methamphetamine.
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Media Contact
Erika Aklufi
Lieutenant
Erika.Aklufi@santamonica.gov