In a 13-hour span from Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning, local authorities responded to a stabbing near Virginia Avenue Park and assisted in the arrest of armed robbery suspects at Santa Monica Airport.
The busy spell for the Santa Monica Police Department began following reports of a stabbing at about 4:15 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Pico and Cloverfield boulevards.
According to police, the 22-year-old victim was seated with his girlfriend at a bus stop on the north side of Pico Boulevard when three Hispanic male suspects approached and asked, "Where are you from?" The question often refers to gang affiliation.
One of the suspects threw a block of wood at the victim, police said. Another suspect stabbed the victim with a knife before fleeing northbound on Cloverfield Boulevard.
The victim sustained a puncture wound on the left side of his body and initially was not cooperating with emergency responders, Sgt. Rudy Camarena said. The victim was eventually taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that were not deemed to be life threatening.
The incident remains under investigation and no arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon, Camarena said.
Traffic was backed up in the area Monday afternoon as police and fire officials responded to the scene.
Early Tuesday morning, Los Angeles police followed two armed robbery suspects on a pursuit that started outside Santa Monica and ended at Santa Monica Airport, Camarena said. Two suspects were arrested, according to multiple media reports.
In situations of that nature, Santa Monica police assist the leading agency by setting up perimeters, Camarena said.
Camarena said he didn't know how many Santa Monica police officers were involved in the Tuesday morning incident. Additional details were not immediately available.
jeff@www.smdp.com
