Homeless man with criminal past arrested on beach for alleged sexual assault

He attempted to escape south across the beach, but was arrested shortly afterwards.

A 25-year-old homeless man facing criminal charges in Washington state was arrested after allegedly attacking a sunbathing woman in Santa Monica.

The suspect, identified as Alonzo Dickson, reportedly climbed on top of the woman and began pushing against her in the 1300 block of Beach around 1:30 p.m. The victim reacted quickly and, with the help of her sister, managed to push Dickson away.

Dickson attempted to flee south across the beach, but was intercepted a short distance away by police officers alerted by lifeguards. He was positively identified by the victim and arrested for Sexual Assault with Restraint under 243.3 of the California Penal Code.

Authorities have confirmed that Dickson has no criminal record in California, although he has at least one unresolved criminal case against him in Washington state. Detectives are currently reviewing the details of that case as part of their ongoing investigation.

The suspect remains in custody and the case will be referred to the District Attorney for review.

The Santa Monica Police Department asks anyone with additional information about the incident or the suspect to contact Detective Nicole Murphy at [email protected] or the Watch Commander at (310) 458-8427.