For the second time in as many weeks, a homeless on homeless assault has sent a man to the hospital with critical injuries.
On August 9, at about 8:09 a.m., Santa Monica Police officers were called to the Ocean Park Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library on Main Street. A library employee tried to wake up a homeless man at the front doors and discovered he was badly injured.
According to SMPD, the unconscious, 41-year-old victim was found with blunt force trauma to his face and a swollen forehead. The victim was transported via ambulance to a local hospital where he is currently listed in critical condition and is expected to survive.
Lt. Erika Aklufi said that at approximately 12:35 p.m., detectives investigating the incident spotted a person of interest who was loitering in the front of the library. The suspect was uncooperative and threatening towards the officers. The suspect was eventually hit with a taser after SMPD said he attempted to assault uniformed officers.
The homeless suspect, Nathanael Roger Lavoie DOB: 04/15/83, was booked for attempted murder, felony battery on a police officer, giving false name to a police officer, and resisting arrest.
Records indicate Lavoie's last known residence to be in Rhode Island where he left behind a laundry list of felonies including several assaults, most recently in January of this year.
This week's arrest comes about a week after an altercation between two homeless individuals left one man dead following a daylight stabbing on the beach.
Juan Evarastico Bahena was arrested on July 31 after he is alleged to have stabbed a man to death along the 2000 block of the beach. Both men in that case are also homeless and witnesses said the two had a verbal argument before Bahena killed the victim.
Anyone with information related to these crimes or suspects are encouraged to contact the SMPD Investigations Division during business hours at (310) 458-8451 or the Watch Commander 24-hours at (310) 458-8427.
