WEEKEND EDITION
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JANUARY 10-11, 2009
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Volume 7 Issue 361
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Since 2001: A news odyssey
THE BIG WEEK ISSUE
Cops search for serial bank robber BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY Santa Monica detectives are asking for the public’s help in capturing a serial bank robber named the “Salt and Pepper Bandit” who has hit three banks in Los Angeles and two in Santa Monica, the latest theft occurring on Thursday at the Union Bank on Wilshire Boulevard. The suspect is described as an AfricanAmerican male, 50 to 55 years old with salt and pepper hair, beard and mustache, standing around 6 feet tall, 170 to 200 pounds,
said SMPD Sgt. Dave Hunscke. The suspect was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans, a gold necklace and a dark, long-sleeve jacket. Witnesses said they saw the man drive off in what is believed to be a blue Lincoln Town Car with Arkansas plates. Hunscke said the first Santa Monica robbery occurred on Jan. 5 in the 3300 block of Pico Boulevard at the U.S. Bank. The suspect demanded cash and fled. The second robbery occurred Thursday around 11:52 a.m., The suspect entered Union Bank, presented a note to a bank teller requesting cash. He placed his hand on
his waste band as if he had a gun, Hunscke said. The teller gave the suspect cash and he fled on foot. Anyone with information is urged to conact the SMPD at (310) 458-8426. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact the We-Tip Hotline at (800) 78-CRIME (27463). If information provided leads to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator, callers become eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
Photo courtesy labankrobbers.org
WANTED MAN: The ‘Salt and Pepper Bandit’ has hit two banks in Santa Monica recently.
kevinh@smdp.com
Residents sound off on median issue BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
SM LIBRARY Whether it is banning trainers or restricting public parking, just about everyone has a strong opinion about how to resolve a long-standing dispute between residents and the fitness buffs who exercise outside of their homes. City Hall on Thursday hosted its second community meeting in three months to address the contentious issue that has captured national interest over the uniqueness of the situation, involving homeowners in an upscale part of Santa Monica and the people who work out daily on the stairs and median at Fourth Street and Adelaide Drive. The goal of the meeting was to get an idea of how the public felt the problem should be addressed, aiding city staff as they formulate probable solutions that the City Council will later take into consideration. The grassy median, which runs along the 200 block of Fourth Street, and the sets of stairs that go down to the Santa Monica Canyon from Adelaide, have for decades made the intersection an exercise destination, attracting athletes, firefighters, actors and average residents alike. In the past two years the area has experienced an outdoor population explosion, a SEE MEDIAN PAGE 12
TRUE CLASSICS
Fabian Lewkowicz FabianLewkowicz.com Inge Freedmen, 89, admires the Hurrel Estate vintage photo collection during the 18th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition at the historic Barker Hanger on Friday. The event is the largest exhibition of its kind in the United States.
Code Compliance Unit has a tough job BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
FIFTH STREET It was not the kind of correspondence that Ellen West had wanted to receive. The owner of The Acorn Store remem-
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bers the summer day in 2007 when she opened a letter from City Hall, describing a code violation that she needed to correct, illegally using public space by showcasing her merchandise on the sidewalk outside the wooden toy shop. The fine — without future corrective
action — was $500. “I’m on a very dead street,” West said. “There is actually no other retail store here and that is the only way I can advertise.” The case is just one of thousands that SEE CODES PAGE 11
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