SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department announced on Tuesday, October 19 that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against a suspect who was involved in an assault. The SMPD reported that officers responded to a disturbance of the peace radio call in the area of 2nd and Arizona on October 14 at Pilates Platinum Studio at 6 a.m.
Comments of the call indicated a female was carrying a baton and striking cars. When officers arrived on scene they spotted the suspect hitting a male victim with two hollow metal pipes. The suspect was immediately taken into custody by officers and identified as Alexandria Diaz.
Officers discovered there were two other victims who were randomly attacked by Diaz. During their investigation, it was determined that the suspect was listed as a missing person out of the Fresno area, that she suffers from mental illness, and was possibly off her medication.
In addition to being struck by the metal pipe, one victim, Michelle Yi, 37, was also “poked” by a reciprocating saw blade that officers found on the ground. Yi sustained an approximate 1 inch laceration to her right eyebrow area from a blow from the pipe. She drove herself to a local hospital for treatment. The other two victims sustained scratches to the face and the head area, but refused medical treatment.
Yi was former contestant in the 2007 season of “Survivor.” Yi. was in the process of opening Pilates Platinum Studio when she was hit in the head.
On Monday, October 18, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office – Airport Court filed 3 counts of 245 PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon against Diaz. Anyone with details pertaining to this incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 310-458-8451 or the Santa Monica Department’s Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.
Written By Anita Brown and Donald Roberts
