Arrest in connection with recent stabbing near 5th Street and Broadway

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a recent stabbing incident in downtown Santa Monica.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), 23-year-old Damian Garcia was located and arrested on October 23 following the October 16 attack on a homeless woman at 5th Court and Broadway. That evening around 7 p.m., SMPD officers responded to the call a bleeding man lying on the sidewalk, and upon arrival, officers discovered a stabbing victim.

According to SMPD, the homeless victim, who had recently arrived in Santa Monica from Kentucky, provided a general description of the suspect along with a possible name. The injured person was transported to a local hospital and his condition is serious but stable.

Garcia, who is also homeless and recently moved to Santa Monica from Florida, was identified through surveillance footage and further investigation.

On October 25, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a plea to one count of assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury. It said Garcia, who is in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, is also being held on a fugitive warrant out of Florida and faces extradition.

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

SMPD issued a statement after the first incident, calling the stabbing “another unacceptable crime in the city of Santa Monica that is at the intersection of complex social issues such as homelessness, substance abuse and dangerous weapons.”

The department said anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det. Ben Jenkins at (310) 458-4884, Sgt. Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8931 or Guard Commander (24 hours a day) at (310) 458-8427.

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