Cops: Man Held in Connection With Homeless Stabbings

At least three transients have been stabbed while sleeping since the beginning of July, police said.

By Samantha Tata and Michael L. Kaufman
|  Saturday, Jul 21, 2012  |  Updated 8:03 PM PDT
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Cops: Man Wanted for Questioning in Homeless Stabbings Goes By Two Names

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Police: Homeless Stabbings in LA, Santa Monica Connected

Police are investigating at least three non-fatal stabbings of middle-aged transients in the LA and Santa Monica areas. Authorities connected the incidents with signed, type-written notes left by the stabber that police called "death warrants." Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on July 19, 2012.

Cops: Man Wanted for Questioning in Homeless Stabbings Goes By Two Names

Police are urging the homeless to seek shelter as the search continues for a man wanted in connection with three non-fatal stabbings in Los Angeles and Santa Monica – all of them including a type-written “death warrant” found at the scene signed with the name David Ben Keyes. Police say their person of interest could go by the names David Ben Keyes or Courtney Anthony Robinson. Gordon Tokumatsu reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on July 20, 2012.
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A man was in custody Friday night in connection with the non-fatal stabbings of two homeless men and one woman in LA and Santa Monica, police said.

The man was being questioned about the serial stabbings – which occurred while the transients slept.

Authorities were able to connect the incidents with a typed “death warrant” signed by the attacker and left at the scene, police said.

LAPD would not confirm Friday night that the man in custody was the person of interest they identified a day earlier.

Police were searching for a man who may go by the name David Ben Keyes or Courtney Anthony Robinson.

The first attack was reported on July 3 when a 56-year-old homeless man was found wounded near Third and Main streets, authorities said.

He had a large “hunting-type” knife protruding from his back, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In that case, a suspect was seen fleeing from the area, police said Thursday.

On Tuesday, a middle-aged homeless man was stabbed while he slept on a Santa Monica park bench, police said.

A 54-year-old homeless woman was stabbed early Thursday morning in Hollywood near the intersection of La Brea and De Longpre avenues, police said.

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Posted Jul 20, 2012
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