CRIME TIME : February 8-14

The Week in Blue

An e-bike theft ring was busted this week when suspects were tracked to El Segundo with two stolen bikes, a loaded gun, and a stash of drugs. Meanwhile, two separate weapons incidents involving guns and ghost guns kept officers busy. Here's the breakdown.

Major Bust

E-Bike Thieves Caught with Gun, Drugs
The week's biggest arrest came on February 9-10 when suspects stole an e-bike from Manhattan Avenue, loaded it into a truck, and fled. Officers tracked the vehicle to El Segundo where they found not one but two stolen e-bikes in the back, along with a loaded handgun and a large amount of controlled substances. Multiple arrests were made.

Ghost Gun Found on Loma Drive
On February 11th, officers responded to a vehicle blocking a driveway on Loma Drive. What started as a parking complaint turned into a major bust when they spotted marijuana in plain view. A search uncovered a large amount of psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a loaded handgun with no serial number—a so-called "ghost gun." Both occupants were arrested.

Assaults & Violence

Unprovoked Attack at Pier
In a bizarre early-morning incident on February 13th, a subject struck a victim in an unprovoked attack at Pier Avenue, then attempted to enter a lifeguard truck before being arrested.

Bar Fight Turns Violent
Two subjects were talking at a bar on Hermosa Avenue when one suddenly punched the other multiple times (February 13th). The suspect was arrested.

Intoxicated Subjects Brawl
Two intoxicated subjects got into it at Pier Avenue in the early hours of February 8th. One resisted arrest and was involved in a battery. Both were arrested.

Pepper Spray Attack
A victim was pepper-sprayed in the face on Owosso Avenue on February 10th. The suspect fled and remains at large.

Identity Theft & Fraud

Student Loan Fraud
In a sophisticated identity theft spanning December 2025 to February 11th, an unknown subject opened a new loan in a victim's name on their student loan portal, added a new address in Indiana to their credit file, and triggered numerous requests for secure codes and password resets. The victim discovered the fraud when they received alerts about the suspicious activity.

Ticket Scam
A victim communicating online was scammed by someone impersonating another person. The victim sent $300 for a ticket that was never received (February 5-9).

Multiple Account Fraud
Unknown subjects used a victim's identity to attempt to open multiple accounts and withdraw money (February 2-9).

Strange But True

Stolen Item Returned at Police Station
In an unusual twist, a victim who'd purchased an item but never received it still had the serial number. They arranged to buy the same item again from a different seller and scheduled the meeting at the police department. The seller showed up with the item—which matched the victim's original serial number. The new seller said he'd bought it online from someone else and handed it over. None of the crimes occurred in Hermosa Beach, so this was logged as an information report.

Property Crimes

Vehicle Burglary in Garage
A vehicle parked in a subterranean garage on Herondo Street was entered by unknown means and multiple items were stolen (February 10-11).

Package Theft
Two package thefts were reported—one delivered to the wrong address on 8th Street (stolen or lost between January 31 and February 13), another requiring a signature on Monterey Boulevard that shows as "signed for and delivered" but the victim never received it (February 12-13).

Retail Theft
A subject grabbed a bottle of alcohol at Pier Avenue, concealed it, and walked out without paying (February 13th).

DUI Arrests

Three DUI arrests were made during the week:

• February 8th on Hermosa Avenue (also driving without a license)
• February 9th on Hermosa Avenue
• February 12th on Hermosa Avenue

Quality of Life

The Usual Downtown Drama

• Public urination citations on 11th Street (January 24th—late report) and Pier Avenue (February 8th)
• Public intoxication arrest on 15th Court (February 12th)
• Highly intoxicated subject found with facial and hand injuries at Pier Avenue, transported for medical care (February 10th)
• Subject with stay-away order cited for riding bicycle in walk zone at Pier Avenue (February 13th)
• Erratic past customer denied hotel room at Pier Avenue establishment after previous incidents (February 8th)

The Weird Stuff

Palm Frond Thieves
Unknown subjects were caught cutting palm fronds from a tree on the greenbelt at Valley Drive (February 9th). It's unclear whether this was unauthorized landscaping or frond theft.