According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), the suspect involved in the recent assault on a six-year-old child has been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department following another incident in Venice where he is accused of hitting a different child during the day on Thursday, March 14.
The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Ahsante Lamar Morgan and is believed to be homeless. The first incident took place at the junction of Main Street and Marine on Sunday, March 10, at approximately 7 p.m.
Witness Christina Tulluck, a Venice resident, recounted that the incident occurred while she and her friends, including the young victim, were heading home from a restaurant on Main Street. They had just stopped to get ice cream when the attack happened. “The hit was violent enough that it knocked her [the 6-year-old] to the ground,” Tulluck said, noting that the child was clutching her face.
According to SMPD, the suspect was sitting on a bus bench at Main Street and Marine Avenue acting erratically. A 6-year-old child and her parents were walking northbound on Main Street behind the bench when the suspect spun around and struck the child causing her to fall to the ground. Thankfully, the child was not seriously injured. The suspect, described as a male, Black, approximately 6’1″, 30-35 years old, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans, fled the location northbound on Main Street and out of sight.
On Wednesday, Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista issued a video statement and said, “An incident like this one is an affront to public safety and will not be tolerated; even more so that a child was involved. Any crime committed in Santa Monica is a crime too many.”
“Our goal is to be proactive and present, providing safety and security to our residents and visitors. In addition, we are deploying our homeless liaison team of police officers and a mental health clinician to provide much needed resources to those experiencing homelessness,” Batista said, adding, “Anyone with information about this incident can contact us at (310) 458-8427. Thank you for your assistance.”
scott.snowden@smdp.com