Santa Monica police said Monday they believe they have a suspect in custody who “sucker punched” a pedestrian walking towards the beach in the 300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in December.
SMPD Sgt. Jay Moroso said police responded to the assault on Dec. 11, 2013 at 10:15 pm.
Moroso said the victim told responding officers he was assaulted while walking westbound on the north sidewalk after the subject approached him, cursed at him, and tried to instigate a fight with him.
“The victim, who was with a friend, told officers that he did not want to fight the subject, so he and his friend continued walking west on Santa Monica Boulevard,” Moroso said. “The subject followed them and ‘sucker punched’ the victim from behind, knocking him to the ground. A witness told responding officers, the suspect walked across the street and stood there until the police started to arrive, at which time he fled. The victim sustained a one and a half inch laceration above his right eye and was treated, on-scene, by paramedics.”
Moroso said officers searched the area and were not able to immediately locate the assailant, but a few hours later at 1:20 am on Dec. 12, officers located a person in the area of 4th Street and Wilshire Boulevard that matched the description of the suspect involved in the assault.
“He made statements indicating that he may have been involved in the assault and was found to have a warrant issued for his arrest,” Moroso said. “Officers arrested the suspect for the warrant and detectives are awaiting a visual confirmation from the victim of the assault before charging the suspect with the assault.”
Anyone with information regarding this assault is asked to contact Detective Soto at 310.458.8218 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at 310.458.8495.
