CRIME TIME: March 1-7

THE E-BIKE SITUATION (AGAIN)

Hermosa's e-bike crime wave rolled into another week with three separate incidents. In the most brazen, someone pried batteries off multiple e-bikes parked in a secured underground garage on the 400 block of Monterey Boulevard in the early hours of Thursday, March 5.

Meanwhile, up at the 3400 block of The Strand, an unknown subject walked into a garage on Friday and simply stole e-bikes outright. And over in Area 3, an e-bike locked to itself — as in, locked only to itself, not to anything stationary — was taken from the 800 block of 15th Street on the evening of February 27.

TAX SEASON CRIME CORNER

It's March, which means the scammers are filing early and often — with your information.

A resident on the 600 block of 1st Place discovered on March 5 that someone had filed fraudulent IRS and California state tax returns in their name.

Over on the 600 block of Longfellow Avenue, a victim received a 1099-K tax form for Uber work they say they never performed.

Tax fraud wasn't the only financial crime this week. A resident on the 100 block of Longfellow Avenue applied for a garage rental, provided personal information to what turned out to be a scammer, and realized mid-process they were being defrauded. The report spans February 17 to February 28 — nearly two weeks of slow-dawning horror.

On the 500 block of Hermosa Avenue, a construction company received what appeared to be an email from a client requesting an invoice. They sent it. The client later said they'd never asked for one. A fraudulent invoice followed. Classic business email compromise — the digital equivalent of someone intercepting your mail and cashing it. Which, incidentally, also happened: a check mailed to cover property taxes from the 1200 block of North Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach was intercepted, washed, and cashed sometime between February 1 and February 19.

And over on the 2900 block of Tennyson Place, a subject had been having packages delivered to a vacant house and showing up to collect them — until a sharp-eyed employee at the location confronted them. The suspect fled.

PIER AVENUE: OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The 100 block of Pier Avenue had a full Tuesday. At 8:17 a.m. on March 4, officers contacted a man camping on the beach who was found to be smoking in public and in possession of drug paraphernalia. By 1:47 p.m., a different subject was arrested for public intoxication at the same general stretch.

Over at the 700 block of Pier Avenue, a driver was cited on March 7 for operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked license. Earlier in the week, on March 4, a separate subject at the same block interfered with a traffic stop — reportedly refusing repeated requests to move back. After declining to comply, they were arrested.

THE STRAND MIDNIGHT TOUR

In the early hours of March 3, two subjects were spotted walking around the 600 block of The Strand. One attempted to open the front door of a residence. The other made off with an electric bicycle. The subject taken into custody was also found to be in possession of controlled substances and paraphernalia.

ASSORTED MATTERS

A DUI arrest on the evening of March 1 at 20th Street and Hermosa Avenue — driving under the influence and without a license.

On March 2, threatening text messages were reported from the 600 block of 5th Street.

On the 2400 block of Prospect Avenue, someone entered an apartment and made off with a necklace and a fur coat on the afternoon of March 5. Paperwork in the unit had been searched as well — suggesting the burglar was looking for more than accessories.

A child's bicycle and helmet were left unattended on the 400 block of Valley Drive on the afternoon of March 4. They were stolen.

On March 3, a neighbor on the 1200 block of 24th Street apparently entered the adjacent yard, painted a gate, and dripped paint onto the ground in the process. This one was filed as an information report, not a crime.

At 8th Street and Prospect Avenue, a subject was found in possession of a nitrous oxide tank on the evening of March 4. Cited and released.

A lifeguard truck bumper was damaged when a garage door closed on it, reported February 28 from the 1200 block of The Strand. The door, presumably, had no comment.

A purse was found at the 700 block of Golden Avenue on March 7. A card holder with ID and other cards was found at the 500 block of Pier Avenue on March 4. Both turned in to HBPD.