City Of Santa Monica: Loaded Gun & Narcotics Arrest

Press release from the City of Santa Monica:

July 2, 2021 12:43 PM

On July 2, 2021 at approximately 12:15 am, Santa Monica PoliceDepartment (SMPD) Officers conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation at the intersection of Lincoln Blvd and Wilshire Blvd.

Officers made contact with the occupants of a black 2012 Nissan Altima. Their investigation revealed the driver, later identified as Joe Martinez a 38-year-old male from Lennox, was on probation for weapons and narcotics violations. The passenger, later identified as Tony D. McClendon, a 44-year-old male from Inglewood, initially provided false identification. However, officers later determined he was on federal probation.

During the search of their vehicle, officers located a loaded 9mm Beretta handgun, a backpack containing a Halloween style mask, gloves, binoculars, and black clothing. Additionally, officers located narcotics, narcotics paraphernalia, an arrow key, miscellaneous mail, credit cards and identification in the name of other individuals.

Based on their investigation, officers believed both Martinez and McClendon were involved in felonious activity such as robberies and theft. They were taken into custody and booked at the Santa Monica Police Jail under the following charges:

Media Contact

Rudy FloresLieutenant

rudy.flores@smgov.net

This press release was produced by the City of Santa Monica. The views expressed here are the author’s own.