A burglary suspect in Santa Monica was taken into custody over the Fourth of July holiday after a police drone returning to the station spotted the man breaking into vehicles in the parking lot near the pier, authorities announced.  

The July 6 incident unfolded as the Santa Monica Police Department’s drone pilot was flying the unmanned aircraft back from a radio call and decided to first survey the crowd situation near the Santa Monica Pier.  

“As he was flying over Lot 1 North (the large lot just north of the Pier), the pilot noticed a male subject wandering through the lot acting suspiciously, SMPD said in a social media post.  

Footage of the incident shows the suspect, wearing a backpack over a gray hoodie, sidling up to a dark-colored SUV, pulling a screwdriver out of his pocket and quickly using it to punch open the locked driver’s side door.  

The man is then seen getting inside the vehicle where he spent several minutes, presumably rifling through the owner’s belongings.  

“While he was in the vehicle, the pilot called for officers to respond to the lot,” SMPD said. “While they were on their way, the suspect used the same tactic to break into another vehicle, this time a truck.”  

The drone pilot was able to direct responding officers to the right row of spaces in the lot where they detained the man.  

“Officers found the suspect in possession of multiple stolen items and placed him under arrest for vehicle burglary and various other theft crimes,” police added.  

Santa Monica PD’s Drone as First Responder Program launched in November 2022 and was modeled after a similar program in Chula Vista, which is south of San Diego, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.  

The program employs a sworn officer pilot who deploys the drone from the roof of the city’s Public Safety Facility and can be airborne almost immediately after a call.  

“Once on-scene, the pilot can provide updates, check for suspects fleeing and give a direction of travel, and guide in responding officers,” SMPD says. “All of this significantly increases our chances of successfully and safely ending dangerous incidents.”