Westside : Gang Tied to Beach Attacks

A series of violent robberies and unprovoked beatings near Santa Monica beaches recently may have been committed by a single group of gang members, police said.

The three attacks, the most recent at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, share similar characteristics, and the descriptions of the assailants are the same, police said. In each case, the victims were near the ocean when they were surrounded by a group of young Latino men, hit with a steering wheel locking device or baseball bat, and then robbed of cash and jewelry, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Gary Gallinot.

“All three were vicious attacks. The victims gave the suspects no provocation to beat them like that,” Gallinot said. “They did it out of sheer meanness.”

The other two robberies took place before dawn Saturday and after midnight on Monday, he said.

Police said they have increased deployment along beach areas in the wake of the robberies.

The holdups are part of an increase in crime in Santa Monica during the last several weeks, Gallinot said. Much of the crime appears to be gang-related, and is believed to be committed by gangs from outside the city, he said. The crime rate frequently rises during the summer as more people, including gang members, come to the ocean to escape the heat, Gallinot said.