SANTA MONICA—On Sunday, April 21, just before 3:00 p.m., the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) arrested a single Black male who was grilling meat in his shopping cart. He appeared to be living in homelessness.
The Citizen app first reported a man walking down the bike lane on Ocean Avenue while grilling. He was using a sword as a meat skewer and had a wood fire going in his shopping cart. His fire was put out, and the individual was taken into custody by SMPD officers.
The individual is reportedly facing misdemeanor charges. First reports indicate he may not get a weapons charge since he was not using his sword to cause bodily harm.
The name of the suspect has not been released. There is no more information currently available.
On January 24, 2024, the City of Santa Monica released the results of their 2023 homeless count.
The homeless count results indicate that as of January 2024, Santa Monica has 926 people living in homelessness which is a 15 percent increase compared to 2022. The homeless count completed in 2023 showed 807 individuals living in homelessness.
