SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica Police Department announced in a press release on August 4, 2023, that Gunnar Zausniewski, 37, was sentenced to 12 years in state prison on July 28. Zausniewski was convicted of attempted murder, mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon on July 3 for a crime committed on August 6, 2020.
The SMPD reported that at 9 a.m. on August 6, 2020, officers responded to a 911 call about a homeless individual brandishing a large knife at Reed Park.
Officers arrived and observed Zausniewski stab someone who was sleeping on the ground before running away. A short foot pursuit occurred, and the suspect was taken into custody. Zausniewski attacked another homeless individual, a 29-year-old, in his abdomen. The victim was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries sustained, from which he recovered. The name of that victim has not been disclosed to the public.
The SMPD indicated that it was proud of the detectives in the Criminal Investigation Division that took the suspect off the streets.
