Elderly Woman Robbed, Suspects Lead SMPD On Chase Ending In Crash

SANTA MONICA, CA — Four suspects were arrested in Santa Monica on Halloween night after they robbed and attacked a 79-year-old woman and lead police on a chase through the city in a stolen vehicle, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

At about 9:50 p.m., officers received a report of a battery in the 1200 block of Lincoln Boulevard. When officers arrived, they found an elderly woman with a head injury who said four men in a Kia robbed her of her purse at gunpoint.

A witness told officers a description of the car and its license plate, and officers discovered the car was reported stolen out of Long Beach.

"Additional responding officers located the suspect vehicle on the south side of the city driving recklessly and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to yield," SMPD said in a statement.

Police pursued the vehicle until the suspects crashed into a pickup truck at 11th Street and Wilshire Boulevard. Following the crash, officers took two suspects into custody. The third suspect was discovered hiding in a carport off a nearby alley and was taken into custody as well.

The fourth suspect attempted to barricade himself inside an occupied apartment in the 1200 block of 11th Street, but the resident forced him out. The suspect then climbed on top of the roof of the apartment complex, where he was located by a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter.

SMPD officers said they recovered a firearm in a nearby area.

The elderly woman was taken to a local hospital to treat her injuries and the occupants of the pickup truck struck by the suspects were not seriously injured, police said.

All four suspects, including two minors, were booked into the Santa Monica Jail on multiple felony charges, SMPD said. Two of the suspects were identified as Kejon Stevenson, 24 of Los Angeles, and Jacob Pugh, 19 unhoused.

Anyone who may have additional information about the incident was urged to contact Detective Hector Tavera at Hector.Tavera@santamonica.gov or Detective Sergeant Ryan Gradle at Ryan.Gradle@santamonica.gov. After hours calls ca be directed to the 24-hour Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.