2 Charged In Party Bus Shooting In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — Two suspects were charged in connection with a party bus shooting near the Santa Monica Pier, nearly two years after the incident in which a young mother was shot to death and others were injured, the Santa Monica Police Department announced Wednesday.

Cameron Lee was charged with homicide, discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and gang enhancement. Ron Simmons was charged with attempted murder, discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and gang enhancement.

On November 4, 2017, officers responded to a call at Ocean Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. When officers arrived, they discovered a shooting had occurred and a victim was a found on Ocean Avenue. A bus involved in the incident drove to the Santa Monica Public Safety Facility with additional gunshot victims on board. Three victims were treated and transported to a local hospital for treatment, and a fourth victim suffered minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital. De'Ommie de la Cruz, 28, died from her gunshot wound. Two additional victims remained hospitalized in stable condition.

The investigation determined a bus with a large group had parked near the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Several people got off the bus and got into an altercation with occupants of another bus, which was parked on Ocean Avenue. Several suspects fired multiple rounds into one of the buses, hitting three victims and another on Ocean Avenue.

"Santa Monica Criminal Investigations Division and partnering agencies worked relentlessly to identify the suspects of this shooting," the SMPD press release said. "Both were found to be in custody on unrelated cases."

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