Police Announce Arrest In Fatal Shooting Of Homeless Man Near Venice Beach
VENICE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities on Sunday continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding a deadly early morning shooting near the Venice Beach boardwalk.
Police on Sunday evening say they made an arrest at 8:10 a.m. but would not say who the suspect is citing an on-going investigation. They only said the suspect was a male Venice resident.
The suspect has been booked on suspicion of murder and being held on $1 million bail.
The shooting took place near The Cadillac Hotel between Dudley Avenue and Rose Court.
The deceased was identified as Jascent Jamal Lee Warren, 26.
A second victim, described as a man in his 40s, was taken to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his leg. That man was treated and released.
Reporting from the scene, CBS2's Greg Mills said a witness told him the owner of the Cadillac Hotel was with the gunman before the shooting. The witness also said the hotel owner ordered the gunman to shoot the homeless people.
"He pulled out the gun and the guy that owns the Cadillac Hotel told him 'Kill that n----r'," says Ras Whitelion.
Authorities have not confirmed this witness report.
Police say when they arrived on scene around 2:10 a.m., a transient directed them to the victims.
Witnesses told police people were being asked not to sleep in front of the hotel and some sort of argument ensued. That's when, according to police, a man with a gun fired at the transients.
"It appears now, at this time, that this incident was triggered by some sort of altercation here on the boardwalk between locals which escalated into a violent encounter with someone brandishing a handgun and committing this deadly crime," LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery said.
One of the friends of the victim who died described him as a "good and kind person" who was helping her get off the streets.
Witnesses told Mills the man was "a very, very good man."
"I was petrified because that was basically fellow homeless activist. He was a humanitarian," Mariah Magomedova said. Magomedova said she's lived on the streets with Warren for the last several months.
Witnesses told Mills that Warren was "a very, very good man."
Mills also spoke to two women -- Bree Nicholls and Sara Asthon -- who are vacationing from New Zealand and were asleep in a hotel about 100 feet away from the gunfire which woke them up.
One of the women said after the gunman unloaded a clip, he appeared to reload and begin firing again.
Authorities said the owner of the Cadillac Hotel was also injured. He suffered head injuries apparently after being beaten by some homeless men following the shooting, a witness said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the LAPD.