Tag: juvenile

SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, July 23, the Santa Monica Police Department announced that a 16-year-old male was arrested in connection to a fatal shooting that transpired on Monday, July 20 in Parking Lot 1 North.

The SMPD reported at approximately 12:32 a.m., officers responded to a report of a possible shooting in Parking Lot 1 North, located at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a physical altercation transpired between two groups prior to the shooting. During the investigation, SMPD detectives identified the juvenile male from Las Vegas as the suspect.

On the evening of July 21, the juvenile surrendered to Santa Monica Police Department detectives and was taken into custody in connection with the homicide investigation. Due to the suspect’s age, no additional identifying information will be released.

“Violence of any kind has no place in our community,” said Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob. “While nothing can replace the life that was lost, the swift and focused work of our detectives resulted in the suspect being safely taken into custody. This is an important step, but our work is not finished. Our beachfront is one of Santa Monica’s most heavily visited public spaces, and we remain committed to keeping it safe for residents, visitors, businesses, and everyone who comes to enjoy our community.”

The SMPD is still investigating the case, and a motive for the shooting has not been released to the public. The name of the victim has not been released to the public.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has details related to this investigation is asked to contact the SMPD at 310-458-8491.

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—On October 6, the Santa Monica Police Department indicated in a press release that a juvenile was arrested in connection to an attempted armed robbery that occurred on October 2. The SMPD reported on October 2, at approximately 9:30 a.m., officers arrested a juvenile male (11 years-old) for attempted armed robbery with a knife near the 1300 block of the beach.

The victim of the robbery relayed to officers that he frequently visits the Santa Monica Beach and while seated in his truck he spotted two individuals near the truck bed where his bicycle was tethered. The suspect approached the truck while holding a knife near his chest.  The victim believed the suspect was unaware of his presence inside the truck and was attempting to steal his bike. Upon realizing the truck was occupied, the youth threatened to cut the victim with the knife. The suspect, along with another youth (13 years-old) fled the area but were located shortly after.  The knife, dropped during the foot pursuit, was located by officers and the victim was not physically harmed during the incident.

Both juveniles, reported as runaways from a residential care facility in the city of San Dimas, were issued citations. The younger of the two suspects was issued a citation for attempted armed robbery and the other for obstructing an investigation. Both were released into the custody of staff from the residential facility.  A records check indicates that both suspects were arrested by officers twice in the month of September for carjacking and burglarizing a vehicle.

Anyone with details related to this incident is asked to contact Detective Lucero at hilda.lucero@santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Shaun Cooney at shaun.cooney@santamonica.gov or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.

By Trevor