LOS ANGELES, CA – A security guard has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man near Reed Park, authorities announced.
Sebastian Emil Gaston, 36, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody by Santa Monica Police on Nov. 7. According to officials, Gaston admitted to the killing as well as a separate assault in July.
The murder occurred on Sept. 6 in the alley between 6th and 7th Streets near Reed Park. Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Program responded to a report of a person lying on the ground in the 1100 block. Upon arrival, officers discovered a deceased man in his 30s with a stab wound to the chest.
Investigators collected evidence, reviewed surveillance footage, and interviewed witnesses, eventually identifying Gaston as a suspect. Gaston was employed as a security guard at a building near the site of the incident.
The case was presented to a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, who determined there was sufficient evidence to charge Gaston with murder. An arrest warrant was issued, and Gaston was taken into custody at the Santa Monica Police Department. During questioning, he admitted to the September murder and the earlier assault.
Gaston remains in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as he awaits trial.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Gaston or the incident to contact Detective Kayondo at [email protected], Sergeant Lozano at [email protected], or the Santa Monica Police Department Watch Commander at 310-458-8427, available 24 hours a day.
The investigation is ongoing.
