Man listed in stable condition following Monday night incident in Santa Monica
By Sam Catanzaro
A security guard at a Santa Monica Vons stabbed a customer this week who was causing a “scene” and not wearing a mask.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), on November 8 around 10:35 p.m., a call was received of a stabbing at Vons, 710 Broadway.
“The reporting party, a security guard at the location, told the operator that he got into a fight with a customer and stabbed him in self-defense,” said SMPD Lieutenant Rudy Flores.
According to the SMPD, officers arrived on the scene and found the customer in front of the market with multiple stab wounds and began providing first aid until paramedics transported him to a local hospital.
“Officers learned that the customer entered the store and started to cause a scene. The customer was also not wearing a face mask. When staff approached him, he became belligerent and assaulted a staff member. The security guard intervened and attempted to escort the customer out of the location. A struggle and then fight ensued between the two. At one point during the fight, the security officer pulled out a small pocket-knife and stabbed the customer multiple times,” Flores said.
“The customer was initially approached by a staff member because he was not wearing a mask. The customer then became belligerent, and so the security guard was contacted,” Flores noted.
At the conclusion of the fight, the customer exited the main entrance where he was located by officers, according to the SMPD.
The customer is recovering at a local hospital and has been listed as stable, police say.
“At the hospital, he refused to identify himself or provide any statements of the incidents,” Flores said.
The SMPD did not immediately respond to an email inquiry asking if the customer’s lack of a mask was the central point of contention during the altercation with the security guard or if there were other factors.
Vons could not immediately be reached for comment.
No arrests have been made.
The incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact SMPD’s Criminal Investigations Division at 310-458-8451 or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458- 8427.
