A man has been arrested in Santa Monica for allegedly sexually assaulting an 84-year-old woman. The incident occurred earlier this month, and police say the woman was heard screaming for help as the suspect dragged her into an alley.
On June 5, around 9:30 p.m., officers responded to the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and 6th Street after bystanders reported the woman’s cries. When they arrived, they found her visibly distressed. The victim told police that a man had approached her from behind, pulled her into a nearby alley, and tried to assault her.
Several witnesses at the scene corroborated her account, stating they saw the suspect flee northward. Authorities quickly located and detained the suspect at the intersection of 5th Street and California Avenue.
The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Pape Tall from Long Beach, faces serious charges. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has charged him with felony counts, including assault with intent to commit rape and kidnapping with intent to commit rape. He was charged on June 9 and is currently being held at Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles without bail. Tall is scheduled to appear in court on July 9 at the Airport Courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport.
Santa Monica police are urging anyone with more information about the incident to reach out to Detective Maricela Orta at (310) 458-2293 or Sergeant Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8931. They also welcome calls to the watch commander’s desk at (310) 458-8427.