Homeless man arrested in Santa Monica stabbing

Santa Monica police have arrested a homeless man from Florida who allegedly stabbed another homeless man earlier this month.

The attack happened on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 16, when, according to police, the male victim was found with a stab wound in the area of 5^th Court and Broadway.

He was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.

Through surveillance video and their investigation, detectives identified the suspect as Damian Garcia, 23, authorities said.

Garcia was located and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Police said he also had a fugitive warrant out of Florida and would face extradition.

Garcia’s criminal history includes another charge of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary to an inhabited dwelling, vehicle theft, armed robbery, and resisting arrest with violence.

“This incident marks another unacceptable crime in the City of Santa Monica that involves the intersection of complex societal issues of homelessness, substance abuse, and dangerous weapons,” the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement.

Other recent incidents involving transients in Santa Monica include an attack on a man who was fishing at the beach, a woman who awoke in her apartment to find a man exposing himself and touching her leg, and a woman who was sexually assaulted while sunbathing.  

“Public safety is our top priority,” police said. “Our officers are committed to addressing the problems by focusing on the root causes of crime in this area and to preemptively thwart any potential future incidents.”

Anyone with additional information regarding the stabbing is urged to contact Det. Ben Jenkins at (310) 458-4884, Sgt. Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8931, or the Watch Commander's desk 24 hours a day at (310) 458-8427.