Man stabbed 2 people 'unprovoked' in downtown Santa Monica, police say

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - A man is accused of stabbing two people in what police believe to be a series of unprovoked attacks in Santa Monica.

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to a call of a stabbing in one of the downtown parking lots near 4th Street and Broadway – a short walk from the Santa Monica Promenade – on Sunday, May 19 around 8 p.m. Santa Monica PD said one of the stabbing victims is in critical condition.

Officials did not specify the severity of the second stabbing victim. A third person was attacked by the suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Larry Cedeno, but did not get stabbed by Cedeno.

Cedeno was arrested Sunday night and remains in SMPD custody, police said.

Cedeno was on probation for larceny, according to SMPD.

Several violent attacks have been reported recently on Los Angeles' Westside.

Just last week, a homeless man was arrested in the 2000 block of Ocean Front Walk for the attempted rape of a female jogger, according to police. Last month, a 29-year-old man was charged with attacking and sexually assaulting two women near the Venice Canals. In another alarming incident, a 41-year-old man was arrested after drawing an active shooter response by firing dozens of rounds from a rooftop in Marina del Rey, while livestreaming the attack on social media. 

Following the Venice Canals attacks, City Councilwoman Traci Park denounced what she described as "catch-and-release" and "criminals-are-the-victims" policies.

"People in the city of Los Angeles are sick and tired of feeling unsafe," Park said. "No woman, no visitor, no family should be unsafe walking in any neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles."

She said there are "unstable and potentially dangerous" people roaming the streets, and said Los Angeles "is getting a bad reputation."