The Hawthorne Police Department made 4 DUI arrests from alcohol and/or drugs and1,691 vehicles were screened while conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on December 13th, 2019. The checkpoint was at Hawthorne Boulevard and Broadway Avenue between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. In addition, 59 drivers were cited or arrested for operating a vehicle while unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license, a total of 61 citations were issued and 19 vehicles were towed. DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Last calendar year (2018), the Hawthorne Police Department investigated 115 DUI collisions that killed 2 people and injured 66 others. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses not to mention possible jail time. The Hawthorne Police Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, can impair and result in a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs. The Hawthorne Police Department will be conducting another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint and/or DUI Saturation Patrol on December 20th, 2019 in our ongoing commitment to take suspected impaired drivers off our streets and highways, ultimately lowering the risk for deaths and injuries. Funding for this checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested
On December 13th, 2019 at approximately 02:39 PM, Hawthorne Police Officers received a radio call regarding a bank robbery that just occurred at the Navy Federal Credit Union located at 5360 Rosecrans Ave. The suspect had taken $2,500 in cash using a note that he gave the teller. As officers were responding, they were able to locate the vehicle exiting the 405 freeway at Redondo Beach Blvd. Upon seeing the police, the suspect, later identified as Joseph McColl, began driving erratically in an attempt to flee. Officers initiated a pursuit through the City of Torrance that lasted several minutes. Officers utilized the PIT maneuver to safely disable the suspect vehicle and take him into custody. The $2,500 was recovered from McColl’s car and returned to the Navy Federal Credit Union. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified and responded to the scene. The case is currently still under investigation.
