Sleeping victim straddled and assaulted with kitchen knife while camping

On October 20, at approximately 2:26 a.m., patrol officers were dispatched to a radio call of a battery that just occurred in the 2600 block of Pico Boulevard. The victim of the battery reported that he had been camping in the 2400 block of the I-10 Freeway embankment when he was attacked by another transient, Fatu Fatu. The victim was startled awake when Fatu straddled the sleeping man and stared striking him with a closed fist on the right side of his head. Fatu grabbed the victim around the neck and started choking him, then pulled a kitchen knife from a pocket or bag and held it up to the victim's neck, threatening to kill the victim. Fatu fled the location in an unknown direction. The victim suffered some swelling and an abrasion above his right eye. At approximately 10:40 a.m., officers were in the area of Virginia Park when they located suspect Fatu and took him into custody for the earlier attack. Fatu was transported to the Santa Monica Jail and booked for assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats. Fatu, 42, homeless, had bail set at $50,000.