Arrest Made After $56K in Jewelry Robbed from Santa Monica Home
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives review evidence and explore the possibility of additional suspects
A man was arrested in Los Angeles last week after allegedly robbing a Santa Monica home at gunpoint and stealing tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry, authorities said.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers responded to a report of a robbery around 8:40 p.m. on April 23 in the 2000 block of La Mesa Drive. The victim told police that an unknown man entered the residence, displayed a firearm, and stole approximately $56,000 worth of jewelry before fleeing.
Detectives tracked the stolen items, which led them to the suspect, identified as Craig Anthony Richey, 66, in Los Angeles later that evening. Richey was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of firstdegree robbery under California Penal Code 211.
The investigation remains ongoing as detectives review evidence and explore the possibility of additional suspects or related incidents.
Santa Monica Physical Therapist Arrested for Sexual Battery; Police Seek Additional Victims
The arrest stems from a February 19 report of a suspected sexual battery at
Select Physical Therapy
A licensed physical therapist was arrested last month in connection with an alleged sexual assault during a treatment session at a Santa Monica clinic, and police are now asking the public to help identify any additional
victims.
Fernando A. Salazar, 28, was arrested on April 17 by Santa Monica Police Department detectives and patrol officers for one count of sexual battery under California Penal Code 243.4(a), according to a statement released by the department.
The arrest stems from a February 19 report of a suspected sexual battery at Select Physical Therapy, located at 507 Wilshire Boulevard. Police said the alleged assault occurred during a scheduled appointment while the victim was being treated for injuries.
Detectives launched what they described as an immediate and thorough
investigation, which led to Salazar’s arrest.
Authorities are now urging anyone who may have had similar experiences with the suspect to come forward. “All reports will be handled with discretion and sensitivity,” the department said. Those with information are encouraged to contact Detective Darnell Crumpler at (310) 458-8941 or [Darnell.Crumpler@ santamonica.gov](mailto:Darnell. Crumpler@santamonica.gov); Sergeant David Haro at (310) 458-8952 or [David. Haro@santamonica.gov](mailto:David. Haro@santamonica.gov); or the SMPD Watch Commander desk 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.
Vending Kiosks Pop Up Around Santa Monica to Expand Access to Health Supplies
Each station offers access to COVID-19 antigen test kits, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and more
In an effort to combat rising public health threats, including opioid overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has installed three Community Health Stations in Santa Monica that dispense free overdose reversal kits, COVID-19 tests, and sexual health supplies.
The vending machine-style kiosks— located at The People Concern’s Turning Point, Samoshel, and Access Center facilities—are part of a broader countywide initiative that launched earlier this year. According to a press release from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, a total of 51 machines have been deployed so far, with plans to expand to 100 across the county.
The Santa Monica kiosks are accessible to the public at the following addresses:
• Turning Point (1447 16th St) – open 24/7 Monday through Friday
• Samoshel (505 Olympic Blvd) – open 24/7, seven days a week
• Access Center (503 Olympic Blvd) –open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Each station offers self-service access to COVID-19 antigen test kits, naloxone (used to reverse opioid overdoses), fentanyl test strips, internal and external condoms, and personal lubricant. No ID, insurance, or payment is required. The program is designed to reduce barriers to health resources in underserved areas and at-risk populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness.
“These supplies allow individuals to take actions that protect themselves and others in the community,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, in a statement. “Having free public health supplies available seven days a week through these stations makes it easier to access important products that support health and save lives.”
The Community Health Stations were developed in partnership with the Department of Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau, and the Division of HIV and STD Programs. While users can voluntarily complete an anonymous demographic survey on the machines’ touchscreens, no personal information is required to use the service.
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For a full map of machine locations or more information, visit ph.lacounty.gov/ CommunityHealthStation.
Meet the Man Behind the Burritos: Severiano Gonzalez Marks Four Decades at Tito’s Tacos
One Man’s Dedication, Four Decades of Flavor: Tito’s Senior Cook Speaks
By Dolores Quintana
Severiano Gonzalez is the senior cook at Culver City’s iconic Mexican restaurant Tito’s Tacos. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Gonzales was hired to work at Tito’s in 1985. After working at a plastics manufacturing company, when he was offered a job at the restaurant, he took it, and never looked back. The seventeenyear-old knew opportunity when he saw it.
After forty years with Tito’s and as the father of a family of four, Severiano Gonzales is known as a man of few words but a sincere dedication to his craft as a cook and, dare I say it, a chef.
I spoke with Severiano Gonzales, through an interpreter, about his work and his passion for cooking. One of the other employees, who has worked with him for many years, said that he was surprised that Gonzales spoke so freely, because he is a man of few words.
After the interview, I stopped to order food, and I had to wait for a bit because the restaurant had a line. It was clear that people love the food that Tito’s Tacos serves and the food that Severiano cooks with love.
Dolores Quintana: When did you first decide you wanted to be a cook?
Severiano Gonzalez: When there was an opportunity [at Tito’s Tacos], when they gave it to me. I took it.
Dolores Quintana: But I wondered if your family cooked a lot and if you learned how to cook at home. If you loved cooking with your family in your home, if that’s where your desire to cook came from. Also, I know that the cuisine in Mexico is different from what people in the United States know as Mexican food.
Severiano Gonzalez: Yes, my family always cooked, but restaurant cooking is different from homemade cooking. Home cooking is different because it’s not in a restaurant setting where you’re making tons of food all at once, but it’s also different because you’re making something for your children. Yes, I agree, Mexican food in Mexico is much different than Mexican food in the United States.
When the opportunity was given to me, and I found that I loved working here at
Tito’s, I took that opportunity because I wanted to grow. I wanted to learn. I was taught by the ones that came before me, the managers and the bosses that I worked with before when I was young. They taught me everything about the restaurant business: how to cook and how to manage the volume. Tito’s is a family business, and the ingredients have been in the family since the business started. They haven’t changed, so I have learned the Tito’s way.
Dolores Quintana: How long have you worked at Tito’s?
Severiano Gonzalez: 40 years. I started as a runner and a server, and then moved up to making food for the customers. I have been the senior cook for 25 years. I am in charge of cooking beans, rice, and enchiladas, and in charge of always being on top of what they need in the front of the house.
you say is correct. It’s a passion, and you do it, not just with passion, but with your heart.
Dolores Quintana: Cooking is a craft, and like a lot of other crafts, like writing or filmmaking or acting, or dancing, it’s also an art. I believe that chefs and cooks know that there is a magic of creativity involved. I think it is very similar. I’ve heard it described that they just want to feed people, and it’s just what makes them happy, you know? When they see people enjoying their food, they say, “My life has meaning.”
Severiano Gonzalez: It is a great pleasure to see people love what they’re eating, especially when the food is something that you’ve cooked.
Dolores Quintana: Is there anything like a specific dish or a type of food here that
Dolores Quintana: Does that mean that part of your skill as a cook is knowing and anticipating the needs of the business throughout the day? Is it that you have an eye for those needs or training?
Severiano Gonzalez: It’s both. I was very well trained to be on top of what is needed out in the front, and because I was so well trained, it has given me the eye to watch what is needed and to know what will be needed. I do this daily, so it’s something that comes naturally now.
I love what I do, and I’m very good at it, and I always strive to do my best when I am working.
Dolores Quintana: I’ve noticed that to cooks and chefs, cooking is more than just a job. It’s like a passion that is within them. How do you feel about your work?
Severiano Gonzalez: You have to be very vigilant when cooking because you know you want to make sure everything is coming out correctly. You’re right, what
you really enjoy?
Severiano Gonzalez: I eat a bean, cheese, and rice burrito and one taco with cheese every single day.
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