SANTA MONICA : Homeless Man Shot at Beach During Confrontation With Taggers, Police Say

A 35-year-old homeless man was shot and wounded early Wednesday in an altercation with eight suspected gang members on a Santa Monica beach, police said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, underwent surgery for a single gunshot wound to his chest, said officials at UCLA Medical Center. His condition was not made available after the surgery.

Immediately after the 1:50 a.m. shooting, Santa Monica police arrested three adults and five juveniles, including three young women, said Sgt. Gary Gallinot.

Although details are unclear, the victim apparently had been sleeping near lifeguard Tower 12, about three-quarters of a mile north of the Santa Monica Pier on Santa Monica State Beach, Gallinot said.

The group allegedly parked in a beach lot in the 1100 block of Pacific Coast Highway, walked to the tower and began to deface it with graffiti.

A fight erupted between the man and the group, and one of the people shot him with a handgun, Gallinot said.

Police rounded up the suspects at the beach, then searched their car and found a handgun that is believed to have been used in the crime, Gallinot said.

Police booked Los Angeles residents Kevin Ruiz, 25, Raymond Delgado, 20, and George Rodriguez, 18, and the four oldest juveniles on suspicion of attempted murder and gang conspiracy. A 13-year-old with the group was charged with both crimes, but is too young to go through the booking process, police said.

All five juveniles, who were not identified because of their age, were transported to Juvenile Hall.