Crime Report: Never Underestimate a Police Dog

Redondo Beach police investigated robbery attempts and car crashes the week ended Nov. 14, artfully deploying a four-legged officer to catch one suspect hiding in a dumpster. 

All bark and bite

On Thursday, a witness saw a man cut the convertible top of a car on the 500 block of north Pacific Coast Highway and remove contents from the interior and contacted police. A police officer chased the man to the 700 block of N. Guadalupe Avenue, where he attempted to hide in a trash dumpster. Police repeatedly advised the man that they had a police dog, and that he should exit the dumpster. When he did not, they sent the canine in to fetch the suspect. The suspected thief was taken into custody and treated at a local hospital for dog bites; he later told officers that he believed if he just stayed in the dumpster the police would just go away.

Purse grab

Around 10 p.m. on Nov. 8, a woman parked her car and began walking to her home in 2500 block of Grant Avenue while talking on her cell phone when a man ran behind her and grabbed her purse from her shoulder. The suspect, described as a black male, 18 to 25 years old, ran to a waiting midsize dark colored vehicle and fled the area.

Foiled grocery robbery

Two men entered Vons at 4001 Inglewood Avenue around noon on Saturday and approached the customer service counter. One went behind the counter and demanded money from the registers while the other acted as a lookout; they fled the store when the manager said there was no money and that security had been notified. The suspects entered a waiting vehicle and fled east on Marine Avenue. Witnesses told police that the men were armed with handguns when they exited their vehicle in the parking lot.

DUI with child

On Nov. 10, officers arrived at the scene of a car crash in the 3800 block of Inglewood Avenue to find a 22-year-old woman showing signs of intoxication and a 2-year-old child. The driver was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. The child was brought to the police station and released to the child's father.  

DUI crash

Police responded to a car crash Nov. 9 in the 2000 block of Inglewood Avenue, and determined that the driver suddenly veered right for no apparent reason and collided with a vehicle that was legally parked at the curb. There was major damage to the driver's vehicle, but not to the driver, who was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. 

Suspicious cruiser

An 11-year-old girl was standing on the sidewalk in the 500 block of Avenue G on Thursday when a gray four-door sedan stopped next to her, and the driver began to exit the car. The girl ran home and told her parents that the vehicle and driver were the same as from another incident that happened the day before. In that incident, the driver, described as a male Hispanic adult with black hair and a medium build, drove up and down the street even though there was ample parking available.  

Mystery blood

Police officers arrived at a parking lot on the 200 block of N. Catalina Avenue on Nov. 9 to check out a report of suspicious circumstances. When they arrived, they saw broken glass and a substantial amount of blood next to a car. A witness reported hearing some banging noises in the parking lot earlier. Unable to locate anyone who was injured or determine the source of the blood, they sent a crime scene investigation officer to collect possible evidence. Several hours later, the same witness reported that someone was in the parking lot looking for keys with a bandaged foot. Officers arrived within minutes but were unable to locate that individual.