Four suspects were arrested after allegedly beating an elderly woman and stealing her purse in Santa Monica on Tuesday.
The suspects were identified as:
– Kejon Stevenson, 24
– Jacob Pugh, 19
– Two unidentified 17-year-old boys
Santa Monica police responded to reports of a battery on the 1200 block of Lincoln Boulevard around 9:50 p.m.
Arriving officers found a 79-year-old woman “suffering from a blow to the head and other injuries.” She was transported to a local hospital for injury treatment.
The four armed suspects had taken the victim’s purse and drove away in a Kia sedan. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Long Beach. An eyewitness provided police with the car’s license plate.
Police later spotted the vehicle driving recklessly on the city’s south side and attempted to pull it over. The driver refused to stop, leading officers on a pursuit.
During the chase, the driver lost control and crashed into a pickup truck near 11th Street and Wilshire Boulevard. Two suspects were taken into custody immediately while two others fled the scene.
One suspect was found hiding in a carport near an alleyway. The remaining suspect had “pushed his way into an occupied apartment in the 1200 block of 11th Street,” police said.
The resident inside was able to force the suspect out of the residence. The man was eventually found hiding on the apartment building’s rooftop. Both men were taken into custody without further incident. A firearm was also located in the area.
All suspects were booked into the Santa Monica Jail on multiple charges including elder abuse, felony battery and robbery.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call Detective Tavera at Hector.Tavera@santamonica.gov, Detective Sergeant Gradle at Ryan.Gradle@santamonica.gov, or the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.
