SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email that a suspect responsible for a series of assaults in 2023 has been convicted and sentenced in court.
The SMPD reported on August 20, 2023, officers responded to the 3100 block of Main Street for an assault with a deadly weapon investigation.
Officers located an assault victim with head injuries. The victim, a Hispanic male, was attacked from behind as the suspect violently struck him with a large wooden stick on the back of his head. The assault was unprovoked, and the victim did not see the suspect. The victim sustained a large laceration to his head and required stitches behind his ear. Officers were able to locate surveillance video which captured the incident.
On August 22, 2023, officers in the 1400 block of Palisades Park located another victim, also a Hispanic male, of an attempted assault with a deadly weapon.
The victim, a Santa Monica Maintenance employee, stated the suspect walked directly towards him and attempted to punch the victim in the face. The suspect threw a glass bottle towards the victim’s face but missed.
SMPD detectives assigned to these investigations found the suspect description was similar in both incidents. Using departmental resources, the detectives were able to identify Kevin Mumin, 37, of Los Angeles (currently homeless) as the suspect in both incidents. Detectives located a LAPD bulletin on Mumin for hate crimes in their jurisdictions, as he specifically targeted and attacked Hispanics.
On August 23, 2023, Mumin was arrested by LAPD for multiple felony assaults (separate cases) with hate crime allegations. Detectives with the Santa Monica Police Department filed the Santa Monica cases jointly with the Los Angeles Police Department incidents.
At trial earlier this month, Mumin was found guilty of three counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon [245(a)(1) PC] with enhancements for Great Bodily Injury [12022.7(a) PC] and Hate Crime [422.75(a) PC]. He was also convicted for one count of felony sexual battery [243.4(a) PC] stemming from one of the Los Angeles incidents. On August 21, 2024, he was sentenced to 23 years and 8 months in state prison.
He has prior arrests for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, criminal threats, narcotics sales, solicitation, indecent exposure, sexual battery and battery.
Anyone with additional details about Mumin or the investigation should contact Det. Brian Spencer at (310) 458-8420 or Sgt. Shaun Cooney at (310) 458-8436.
By Trevor