1 man stabbed in large brawl near Santa Monica Pier; 5 arrested

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) – In a brawl near the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday afternoon, one man suffered an apparent stab wound, another suffered a possible broken ankle, and five men were arrested.

The brawl occurred around 2:21 p.m. north of the pier near Tower 14.

When officers arrived, they found a man with a stab wound that did not appear to be life-threatening. Another man may have broken his ankle in the altercation, police said. Both victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

It is unclear what sparked the fight, but according to witnesses who spoke to Eyewitness News, some of the men involved appeared to be street vendors. Police have not confirmed this information.

“So I went down there and it turned out it was some kind of fight, about 12 people,” said witness Jose Gutierrez. “They were just throwing poles, flags, umbrellas – anything they could get their hands on. I saw a guy with a belt in his hand.”

According to police, three of the five men arrested were taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon.

Another suspect was arrested for assault and the fifth suspect was arrested for sexual abuse, police said.

Investigators did not provide any further details. The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Monica Police Department Station Chief at 310-458-8427 or the emergency dispatch center at 310-458-8491.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.