By Lookout Staff

October 21, 2021 -- Santa Monica police are searching for a suspect who set a homeless man on fire while he slept in Ozone Park near the Venice border Saturday night.

The suspect doused the sleeping man with with an unknown liquid before setting him on fire at around 11:35 p.m., police said.

The victim -- who suffered burns to approximately half his body -- was transported to the hospital for treatment, said Lt. Rudy Flores, the Police Department spokesman.

The victim "also had a 2-inch laceration on top of his head from possible blunt force trauma," Flores said.

Police are looking to question a subject who was seen in the area during the incident, which took place at the narrow park a few blocks from the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Rose Avenue in Ocean Park.

The subject is described as a male between 5 foot 6 inches and 5 foot 8 inches tall with a medium build and wearing a hat, a long-sleeved white shirt and dark shorts.

"SMPD detectives are following up on leads and working hard to identify the suspect involved in this incident," Flores said.

Anyone with information concerning the incident should call Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Detective Tavera at 310-458-2256 or the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.