Homeless man arrested for allegedly attacking 2 young children in Santa Monica and Venice
Police say in one incident, a little girl was walking with her parents near a bus stop when the man turned around and struck her.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two young children were assaulted while walking in some of Southern California's most popular tourist spots, and the suspect has been arrested.
6-year-old girl attacked in Santa Monica
The first incident happened Sunday around 7 p.m. near the bus stop on Main Street and Marine Avenue in front of the DMN8 gym.
Police say the little girl was walking with her parents, heading northbound on Main Street behind the bus stop when the suspect, who's been identified as 23-year-old Ahsante Lamar Morgan, turned around and struck the child, causing her to fall to the ground.
Police say Morgan was "acting erratically" before the attack. The girl was not seriously injured.
Nicole Niss, the studio manager at DMN8, said she spoke with the family after the attack.
"The family ran away but the friend came back and tried to get a picture of them and have been searching for what happened since," she said. "They came in and asked if we had any footage but unfortunately, our cameras only capture our front door."
Police say Morgan was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department following a separate incident in Venice. He's currently in LAPD custody.
7-year-old boy attacked in Venice
Morgan also allegedly hit a 7-year-old boy along the Venice Boardwalk. No other details were immediately available.
More information about Morgan was also not immediately released but police confirmed he is homeless.
Santa Monica police take action
"An incident like this one is an affront to public safety and will not be tolerated," said the Santa Monica Police Department in a statement posted on Facebook. "Even more so that a child was involved. Any crime committed in Santa Monica is a crime too many; our department stands strong in the face of anyone who chooses to victimize those who are in this city."
Police said it's deploying its Homeless Liaison Program Team of officers and a mental health clinician to provide resources to the homeless.
"Our efforts, combined with the Therapeutic Transport Team and the Salvation Army, provide us a platform to redouble our efforts to connect individuals with treatment and shelter," said Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista.
Meanwhile, Niss is thinking about the family.
"It's absolutely horrible. It breaks my heart for the family, for the child, trying to explain to them what happened and that they didn't do anything wrong," she said. "I can't imagine what the family's going through. For me, I worry about my employees, of course. So we're just reminding them safety procedures, always putting their safety first."
