Crime Blotter/Annals of Transience

We are saddened to reprint this from the Santa Monica Daily Press

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, AT 4:20 P.M., An officer on routine patrol in the 300 block of Colorado Avenue noticed two people fighting outside of Sears. When the officer went to confront the two men, they stopped fighting. The officer spoke to both and learned that one of them was a security guard for Sears and he was struggling with a suspect who allegedly stole a jacket. The suspect had a restraining order preventing him from entering Sears after prior shoplifting convictions, police said. The suspect was taken into custody and booked for robbery, violation of probation and violation of a court order. He was identified as Frank Stephen Ashby, 45, a transient. His bail was set at $50,000.

as we are an acquaintance of Mr. Ashby. A casual acquaintance. Maybe we should say he's an acquaintance of ours. Either way, we're betting no one's gone his bail.