Police are searching for a suspect after a homeless man was stabbed in downtown Santa Monica

A homeless man is in serious but stable condition after being stabbed in downtown Santa Monica on Wednesday.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department, around 7 p.m. on October 16, officers responded to 5th Court and Broadway for a man in need of medical attention. When they arrived in the alley, officers found a homeless man with a serious stab wound.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where his condition remains serious but stable.

SMPD said the suspect is male, black, approximately 20 to 25 years old, with dreadlocks and a very distinctive “FTP” tattoo on his face.

The recent stabbing is just one of many that have occurred in Santa Monica this year. Most recently, a homeless man attacked an SMPD officer with a knife earlier this month. In that incident, the officer shot the attacker. In September, a homeless man was found stabbed to death in an alley near Reed Park. In other cases, people with knives threatened a child on the pier, slashed a security guard in a downtown parking lot, stabbed two tourists downtown and cut the face of a man seeking help at the downtown People Concern homeless shelter on.

The Santa Monica Police Department released a statement calling this week’s stabbing “another unacceptable crime in the city of Santa Monica that intersects complex societal issues such as homelessness, drug abuse and dangerous weapons.”

The statement said officers are committed to addressing the issues by focusing on the root causes of crime in the area and preemptively preventing possible future incidents.

“In addition, our officers will increase their presence, building stronger relationships with residents and business owners while working with neighboring law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible. We are proactively working to prevent further incidents,” the statement said.

The statement said the department will continue to keep its efforts informed through regular weekly web updates and that residents can report suspicious activity 24 hours a day through Dispatcher (310) 458-8491, which is linked to Neighborhood Resource Officers and the Community Affairs Unit (310) 458-8474 and look out for each other as neighbors.

Officials said SMPD investigators are continuing to search for surveillance camera footage in the area surrounding the recent incident and are asking the community to contact the watch commander (310-458-8426) if they have any information that would assist in identifying the suspect could be.

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