Man accused of trying to kill ex-girlfriend in Laguna Beach arrested after photo recognized
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A 31-year-old man with a violent criminal past has been arrested for allegedly trying to kill his ex-girlfriend in Laguna Beach.
Within a day of authorities asking the public to help find Charles Kelley, Long Beach firefighters recognized him from a photograph as he sought treatment for an injury at a local hospital.
They contacted Laguna Beach police, who responded to the hospital and arrested Kelley around 3 a.m. Friday.
Once medically cleared, Kelley is expected to be booked at the Orange County Jail for attempted murder and other charges, as well as an unrelated felony warrant.
Laguna Beach police say Kelley violently attacked his ex-girlfriend Wednesday morning at a home on Tahiti Avenue near Thurston Middle School.
Investigators allege Kelley burglarized her home the night before he allegedly attacked her.
Laguna Beach police had already been looking for him in connection with a January bar fight. He was also arrested in 2014 for allegedly trying to rob a man at knifepoint at an ATM in Irvine.
Kelley was also arrested in 2016 after a bar fight in San Diego.
Anyone with more information about Kelley is asked to contact Detective M. Lee at (949)497-0371 or MLee@lagunabeachcity.net.
