S A N TA M O N I C A
INSIDE SANTA MONICA TEACHERS BEGIN RECEIVING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AHEAD OF CAMPUSES REOPENING
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY
smmirror.com
PAGE 2
March 5 – March 11, 2021 Volume LXXVIII, Issue 83
Santa Monica Police Warn of Thieves Targeting Seniors Near Palisades Park Two elderly woman robbed along Ocean Avenue recently By Sam Catanzaro
Santa Monica police are investigating two thefts targeting senior victims near Palisades Park in broad daylight. According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), the two incidents were reported on February 13 and 17 on the 500600 block of Ocean Avenue in the North of Montana neighborhood. “In each of the reported incidents in Santa Monica, a female suspect calls out to the victim from a parked car asking for directions or assistance in an effort to get the victim to come close enough to touch or grab them. The suspect then puts a piece of fake jewelry on the victim, while stealthily removing their expensive jewelry, before fleeing in a getaway vehicle, which
is usually driven by a male suspect,” said SMPD Lt. Rudy Flores. According to police, both victims were elderly women walking alone during the early afternoon between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Lt. Flores says both the victims were walking across the street from Palisades Park, not in the park itself. “The Santa Monica Police Department would like to remind our residents to never approach a strange vehicle and continue to report suspicious behavior,” Flores said. Suspect #1 is described as a Middle Eastern or White female, between 40-60 years old with dark or brown hair. Police say suspect #2 is a potentially White female, mid-40s with dark hair and may be wearing a scarf covering her hair. Suspect #3, the driver, is described as a potentially White male, mid-40’s with dark hair. If you or someone you know believes they have been a victim of a similar crime, please contact Detective David Haro from the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Santa Monica Police Department at
The 500-600 block of Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.
(310) 458-8432 or the Watch Commander
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
(24 hours) at 310-458-8427.
Santa Monica Library Branch to Reopen Under Self-Service Model Californias’ Open+ Pilot Project coming to Santa Monica Public Library Ocean Park branch By Sam Catanzaro
Amid sweeping budget cuts last year, over 60 employees of the Santa Monica Public Library system lost their jobs and two branches were forced to close. Now a state grant is enabling one of these shuttered branches to reopen via an automated service model. Last week officials announced the Santa Monica Public Library has been selected to participate in a grant provided by the California State Library in partnership with Bibliotheca, LLC. The grant will allow for new technology to be installed at the Ocean Park Branch Library to
The Santa Monica Public Library Ocean Park branch.
expand access to the library collection to Santa Monicans through a self-service model. The program, called Open+ Pilot Project, is part of the California State Library’s Bringing the Library to You Mobile Library Solutions grant
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
initiative. The program comes as the City is facing a budget deficit brought on a pandemic-related revenue loss and unfunded pension liabilities.
Library Branch, see more page 11