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By Lookout Staff
July 25 -- The owner
of a Santa Monica motel was
arrested for receiving stolen
property, and ten of his tenants
were arrested for narcotics
possession and other violations
during a police sting Monday
morning, police said.
City building officials then
closed the Pavilion Motel, 2338
Ocean Park Boulevard, for several
code violations, police said.
More arrests are expected.
The operation began at 11:30
a.m., when Narcotics Investigators
looking into allegations of
rampant drug activity at and
near the motel in the Sunset
Park area of Santa Monica served
arrest and search warrants at
the site.
Saeed Farzam, the motel’s
owner, was arrested after he
purchased what he believed to
be stolen electronic equipment
during an undercover police
sting, said Lt. Alex Padilla,
the Police Department spokesman.
A search warrant was then served
on Farzam’s Santa Monica
residence, where police recovered
additional evidence, Padilla
said.
Farzam was booked for receiving
stolen property at the Santa
Monica Jail and his bail is
set at $20,000, police said.
Later on Monday, Narcotics
Investigators served additional
arrest and search warrants at
the Pavilion Motel, resulting
in the arrest of ten persons
for a variety of narcotics-related
crimes and for parole and probation
violations, Padilla said.
The City of Santa Monica’s
Building and Safety Division,
Code Compliance, Santa Monica
Fire Department and the County
Health Department conducted
an inspection of the motel pursuant
to an administrative warrant,
according to police.
The inspectors found several
code violations and posted a
“Yellow Tag” notice
on the structure, which prohibits
anyone from renting rooms or
staying at the motel until the
violations are repaired, police
said.
Tenants will be allowed to
access their motel rooms in
order to obtain their personal
possessions, police said. The
Police Department assisted four
indigent persons with finding
temporary housing.
Anyone with information regarding
this investigation should call
the Narcotics Detail of the
Santa Monica Police Department
at (310) 458-8455.
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