A homeless man was in custody on Aug. 10 for allegedly assaulting and critically injuring another homeless man, who was found unconscious outside a library branch in Santa Monica, California.
Nathanael Lavoie, 40, was arrested on Aug. 9 afternoon and booked on suspicion of attempted murder and other offenses, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Officers were sent to the Ocean Park Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
“A library employee tried to wake up a homeless male at the front doors and discovered he was badly injured,” police said in a statement. “The victim, a 41-year-old male, was found with blunt force trauma to his face and a swollen forehead. The unconscious victim was transported via ambulance to a local hospital.”
The man, whose name was not released, was hospitalized in critical condition and expected to survive, police said.
About 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, detectives investigating the crime “spotted a person of interest who was loitering in the front of the library,” police said.
“Upon contact with the suspect, he became uncooperative and threatening in his behavior,” police said. “Additional responding officers deployed a taser after the subject attempted to assault uniformed officers.”
The suspect was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, felony battery on a police officer, giving a false name to a police officer, and resisting arrest, police said.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call detectives at 310-458-8451, or the watch commander at 310-458-8427.
