Police Blotter: Ignited Building and Rental Scams

This week in Culver City, a woman enjoyed an authentic Mexican meal that ended in a MacBook theft, and suspects dropped a pair of gloves during a burglary. Read on to learn what happened.  

Building on fire

On Sept. 8, someone entered a building with a key or was able to hide inside during hours of operation. Once the business closed, the person tried to tunnel through several walls and ceilings to get into the office area. The person finally burrowed through a wall that allowed access and once inside, poured gasoline on some cardboard boxes, setting them on fire.  The person removed the video surveillance equipment before leaving the scene. 

Rental scam alleged

On Sept. 8, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Wolfgang Buchmann was arrested in connection with an alleged rental scam. Buchmann is accused of posing as a property manager looking to rent out a residence in Culver City. After showing a residence on Huron Avenue, Buchmann made off with the victims' down payments, according to a Culver City Police Department press release. The total loss was $9,000.

Buchmann is in custody and his bail has been set at $100,000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department website.             

House burglarized

On Sept. 7 at about 11:30 a.m, a resident saw two suspicious people leaving the side yard of a house on the 5000 block of Rhoda Way. One of the people dropped a pair of gloves and the two walked away from the residence toward cars parked along Ocean Avenue, near a park. 

The resident called the police department about the unusual activity and officers responded to the area. During their investigation, the officers found that the Rhoda Way house had been burglarized with miscellaneous property removed, including two handguns. The suspects were described as follows:

Suspect No.1: Black male, 18 to 20 years of age, 5'9" and 165 to 185 pounds, clad in a gray hooded pullover sweatshirt and baggy blue jeans.

Suspect No. 2: Black male, 18 to 20 years of age, 5'6" and 130 to 165 pounds, clad in a black shirt and blue jeans. 

Chips, margaritas and stolen MacBooks

On Sept. 4 at approximately 7:45 p.m., three men described as being Hispanic and in their early 20s entered Cinco de Mayo Mexican restaurant on Washington Place. While one man acted as a lookout and another as the getaway driver, the third man forcibly took an Apple MacBook Pro laptop from a female restaurant patron who was dining alone at an inside table.  The suspects, all of whom were wearing dark clothing, fled southbound on Sepulveda Boulevard in a gray 2006 Nissan Altima. Responding officers conducted an expanded area check but did not apprehend the suspects. 

Smashed window

On Sept. 6 at about 11:35 p.m., a victim called to report her vehicle had been vandalized on the 4100 block of Jackson Avenue. The victim said someone smashed her windshield and fled the location.

Grand theft auto

On Aug. 30, a man came to the police station to report that his vehicle had been stolen on the 5600 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. The victim said he parked and secured his vehicle at 9 a.m. and returned at 2 p.m. and his vehicle was missing.