Man Held in Toilet Trashing at Wine Garden

It was a holder for toilet seat covers worth fighting for.

A man who allegedly tore one down from the wall of a restroom at at Santa Monica Place was arrested Friday night after a brawl with security guards, the Santa Monica Police Department reported.

Police said the alleged vandal, 20-year-old Michael M. Mejia, struck the restaurant’s manager when he confronted Mejia about the incident, allegedly hitting him in the head several times.

Mejia ran away but was confronted by a mall security officer, whom he allegedly struck in the face, too. "He struck [a] second security officer in the face before being tackled and restrained until [police]" arrived," said Sgt. Richard Lewis. M

Mejia was booked into Santa Monica jail on suspicion of battery, resisting police officers and vandalism.  He is being held in lieu of $26,000 bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, online jail records show.