Charged with attempted murder of perpetrator on Santa Monica beach

The man accused of attacking three people on Santa Monica Beach on Monday faces a number of charges, including assault with intent to rape, child abuse and attempted murder.

The district attorney on Tuesday filed charges against 32-year-old Jawann Dwayne Garnett, who police say is homeless, has a significant criminal history and is currently on probation for assault with intent to commit sexual assault.

Garnett is said to have attacked three independent victims Monday morning on the beach, north of the Santa Monica Pier.

An elderly woman received medical attention at the scene and a 17-year-old was treated at a hospital for serious injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said. A bystander who intervened was also allegedly attacked.

Jenna Wilker said she was on the beach near lifeguard tower 13 when she heard the commotion.

“It was pretty violent. I ran over and got the guy to let go of the woman. I pushed him off of her and he punched me in the face pretty hard,” Wilker said.

Before targeting the teenager, police say the suspect dragged the other victim, an elderly woman, into the water and allegedly attempted to drown her before being stopped by family members and lifeguards in the area.

Based on Monday’s allegations, Garnett is charged with the following crimes: attempted murder, child abuse, assault with intent to rape and kidnapping.

Along with the announcement of the charges on Tuesday, prosecutors also listed Garnett’s previous arrests, including assault with intent to commit rape, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence – both offenses charged as misdemeanors and felonies – trespassing and failure to register as a sex offender.

On June 9, Garnett was arrested by Santa Monica police for failure to register as a sex offender. While in custody, Garnett was registered as a sex offender with the City of Santa Monica and released with a summons and a promise to appear in court. This was the only encounter Santa Monica police had with Garnett before the attack on the beach.

Garnett is being held on $1 million bail.