October 29, 2024 -- A homeless man was arrested last week for sexually assaulting a woman inside an illegal tent on the beach, according to the police department's weekly blog.
It was one 0f 48 arrests made by Santa Monica police between October 19 and 25 and continues a trend of sexual assaults in the beach city, according to an analysis ofincidentsposted in The Blue Notebook.
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The latestassault, which took place in the 1100 block of the beach, came two days after the department's Directed Action Response Team (DART) arrested the suspect for the illegal tent.
The subject had been previously advised and cited by DART officers for the same violation of the municipal code, according to Erika Aklufi, the Police Department spokesperson.
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On the day of the alleged assault, the victim flagged down Fire Department personnel at Station 7, which provides service for the beach and Pier, and reported she had been raped, according to the blog.
"The victim told responding officers that she met the suspect the night before and spent the night with him in his tent on the beach," Aklufi wrote.
"The victim woke to the suspect having sex with her and she fled with her belongings," she wrote.
Police saw the suspect "breaking down his tent and attempting to leave the area" and took him into custody, Aklufi said. The LA County District Attorney "is currently determining what charges will be filed."
The arrest was one of 12 made for sex-related offenses by Santa Monica police over the past two months, according to incidents posted on the police blog.
Five of the arrests were for sexual assault, five were for failing to register as a sex offender, one was for lewd conduct and one for indecent exposure. All the individuals arrested were homeless.
There are currently 120,000 individuals on the California Sex Offender Registry, which includes the names and addresses of those convicted of crimes including a number of sexual offenses with a child.
There are a total of 59 convicted sex offenders listed in Santa Monica. Of those listed, 24 are homeless.
Homeless sex offenders must register every month with their local law enforcement agency in order to be in compliance with the law, Aklufi said.
"We tend to monitor them," Aklufi told The Lookout. "We noticed we are getting a lot of new folks who didn't register when they got here.
"We made a list of those not in compliance and told officers to keep an eye out for them. Once they get locked in the system, they know.
"It's just keeping people accountable," Aklufi said. "Some decide to leave because they're getting on the radar."
This month, police have arrested three sex offenders. One arrest involved a sex registrant out of compliance who had illegally set up an encampment on the bluff side of Palisades Park.
The subject "was found in possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a stolen credit card," Aklufi said. "The encampment was removed."
Another sex offender who was determined to be out of compliance was arrested on the 1600 Block of Appian Way near the Pier for failing to register and for possession of methamphetamine.
In the third arrest, officers on patrol "recognized a known sex offender" and found he had a "No Bail” warrant, which is given when a suspect has previously been freed on bail but fails to appear in court.
Early last month, Police Chief Ramon Batista issued a candid message in the wake of "a disturbing string of crimes" that had taken place in public spaces ("Police Chief Addresses Recent 'String of Crimes,'" September 6, 2024).
Many of the incidents, Batista said, are linked by "a common thread" that is becoming increasingly apparent -- "the intersection of homelessness, mental illness, and drug use."
