By Jorge Casuso

March 13, 2025 -- Santa Monica police recently arrested suspects in three separate incidents that involved chasing residents with a knife, waving a machete and lunging at a victim with scissors.

The arrests made in incidents that took place in different parts of the city were among the 73 arrests made between February 22 and March 1, bringing the yearly total to 506, according to police.

During the eight-day stretch, there were 2,353 calls for service for a total of 18,978 calls, 22 percent of them involving homeless individuals, according to data posted on SMPD's weekly crime blog "The Blue Notebook."

In one notable incident, a K9 officer responded to reports of a suspect chasing residents with a knife and breaking windows on the 1400 block of 11th Street, according to the latest blog post.

"The suspect briefly barricaded himself in his residence," said SMPD spokesperson Lt. Lewis Gilmour.

"The officer deployed K9 Mylo in a stand-off posture, and after being warned of the K9's presence, the suspect surrendered without incident."

In another incident, officers responded to reports of a man walking on the 2200 block of Wilshire Boulevard waving a machete.

"The suspect approached officers at Whole Foods, still holding the machete and uncooperative." In this case, K9 Frenkie was "deployed in a stand-off posture, de-escalating the situation."

The suspect was arrested for a probation violation and additional Health and Safety charges.

Another notable incident, this one on the 1400 block of 5th Street, involved a suspect who "lunged at the victim with scissors," according to the blog.

"In fear for his life the victim took off his belt to defend himself. The suspect was located and placed under arrest."

Also during the 8-day stretch, a homeless suspect struck a 6-year-old girl in the head without provocation while she was walking with her babysitter on the 1300 block of Stanford Street.

The blow caused the child "to fall and hit her head on a parked car. The suspect fled, and an arrest warrant was issued after criminal investigators identified the suspect.

One suspect who was arrested for Grand Theft Auto at Broadway and 17th Street committed two robberies after being released from jail -- an armed robbery at Santa Monica Place and a strong-arm robbery at Tongva Park.

Three fires were set in Santa Monica during the same period, all in a short period of time by the same arson suspect, who was arrested.

The fires came two weeks after a homeless man was arrested after setting four successive fires ("Homeless Man Arrested for Setting 4 Fires," February 13).

During the eight-day stretch, police arrested two out of compliance sex offenders, one of whom had not registered since 2020.