Crime & Safety
Actress Accused Of Biting Santa Monica Police Officer
While the LA-based actress was in police custody, her family in Australia thought she was missing.
SANTA MONICA, CA — Authorities arrested a Los Angeles-based Australian actress accused of biting a Santa Monica police officer during a drunken confrontation at a local restaurant Friday. Her detainment, however, prompted a frantic missing persons search spearheaded by family members across the globe.
Laura McCulloch, 37, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of public intoxication and resisting arrest, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Her bail was set at $25,000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Police responded to the 200 block of Arizona Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Friday for a reported battery. The caller told police McCulloch had thrown a drink at a restaurant patron and their two-year-old child, authorities said. Police said McCulloch "showed obvious signs of intoxication" when they arrived. McCulloch appeared before a judge Tuesday, authorities said.
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"While conducting the investigation, McCulloch charged at the officers while yelling expletives. Despite efforts to calm her, McCulloch continued to display aggressive behaviors. During efforts to detain her, she became physically combative, kicked at officers and bit one officer on the shoulder," SMPD Public Information Officer Rudy Flores said.
Loved ones on Monday reported McCulloch missing, saying they hadn't heard from her since Friday when she was heading to a first date at a Santa Monica restaurant, according to social media posts and a GoFundMe page created by family members. The GoFundMe Page was updated Tuesday morning to reflect that McCulloch had been found.
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Loved ones had been "desperately searching" for her after she missed classes, work and other commitments, according to a GoFundMe page created by McCulloch's cousin. The campaign raised $1,000.
"It was only through the efforts of her amazing friends and family that she was successfully located and I’m sure they would want to pass on their heartfelt appreciation for your contributions and incredible support so far," McCulloch's family wrote on the GoFundMe.
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