A 48-year-old man is set to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court Aug. 16 for the alleged murder of a homeless man in Santa Monica last week.
Juan Evarastico Bahena was arrested July 31 for the incident of the same day and is currently being held in a Santa Monica jail on $2 million bail.
The incident took place around 2 p.m. near Ocean Front Walk and Bicknell Avenue, after a dispute between Mr. Bahena, who police identified as homeless, and the victim—who authorities said was also homeless—broke out in the breezeway next to the men’s restrooms, according to a Santa Monica Police Department press release.
Witnesses told police Mr. Bahena stabbed the 27-year-old victim—whose name has not been released—in the chest and torso several times, authorities said. First respondents performed CPR until the victim was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
According to authorities, witnesses identified Mr. Bahena to police after he stayed in the area after the incident. Police ultimately located the suspected murder weapon—the specifics of which were not released—in Mr. Bahena’s backpack, according to the press release.
Mr. Bahena has been placed under arrest at least 20 times in Los Angeles County since 2021, under the name of Juan Manuel Everastico, police confirmed to The Epoch Times.
He reportedly immigrated illegally to the United States two years ago, according to Santa Monica Observer, an online publication covering news in Santa Monica.
Anyone with information related to the crime is asked to call the Santa Monica Police’s Investigative Division during business hours at 310-458-8451 or the 24-hour Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.
