Homeless Man Arrested after Stabbing Two at Beach

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Homeless Man Arrested after Stabbing Two at Santa Monica Beach

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By Jorge Casuso

November 18, 2022 -- Police arrested a homeless man suspected of stabbing two men on the beach in Ocean Park Thursday night -- one by a public restroom, the other on the bike path.

The first stabbing took place by the restroom in the 2100 block of Ocean Front Walk, where officers were dispatched at around 9:40 p.m., police said.

Jamal K. Lampitt (Courtesy
SMPD)

Subsequent calls reported that a man with a knife was being detained by a citizen four block south on the walk, said Lt. Rudy Flores, the Police Department spokesman.

The responding officers found the citizen holding down the suspect, who was identified as Jamal K. Lampitt, a 26-year-old homeless man.

The officers arrested Lampitt without further incident and recovered the knife, Flores said. Officers found the stabbing victim nearby in with multiple stab wounds.

Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) paramedics responded and transported the victim to a local hospital, police said.

"Officers learned Lampitt approached the victim, produced a knife, and tried to rob him," Flores said. "The victim refused before Lampitt stabbed him and ran off."

After stabbing the first victim, Lampitt "encountered a male on a bicycle in Beach Parking Lot 5 South (2700 Barnard) and stabbed him multiple times for no apparent reason," Flores said.

The second victim was also transported to a local hospital, where both men are recovering with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Lampitt was transported to the SMPD Jail where he was booked for attempted robbery and attempted murder.

Thursday night's incidents took place less than one month after two men were stabbed in Downtown Santa Monica on the same night in incidents that appeared unrelated ("Police Investigate Two Stabbings Downtown," October 25, 2022).

Officers responded to the first incident at around 9:30 p.m. after a caller reported a possible stabbing near the entrance to the Pier on Ocean Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

While searching for the victim, officers found a man with two small stab wounds to his torso area near the rear of the Ken Edwards Center Downtown.

In Santa Monica's first homicide this year, a homeless man was fatally stabbed in the courtyard of the Main Library by his homeless assailant at around 7:18 p.m. on July 29 ("Man Fatally Stabbed in Library Courtyard," August 1, 2022).

Anyone with any additional information pertaining to this incident is strongly encouraged to contact Detective Pollnow at 310-458-8455 or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8426.

Disclosures