One Victim Managed to Restrain the Suspect in a Chokehold
On November 7, the Santa Monica Police Department detained Adrian Jose Dugas, a 24-year-old male experiencing homelessness from the Los Angeles area, regarding a carjacking episode involving multiple victims.
Around 10:30 pm, officers responded to reports of a group of individuals subduing Dugas in the 400 block of Adelaide Drive. According to six victims, the incident transpired as they returned to their vehicle in Parking Structure 8. Dugas approached them, purportedly concealing a handgun within a duffle bag. He forcibly entered the vehicle’s backseat, coercing the victims to drive him around the city. During this period, he confiscated their cell phones, threatened to shoot them if they resisted, and physically assaulted both the driver and a passenger.
After over an hour of driving, Dugas ordered all passengers out of the car. One victim managed to restrain the suspect in a chokehold until law enforcement arrived.
The LA County District Attorney filed charges against Dugas, including six counts of robbery, six counts of kidnapping during a carjacking, one attempted carjacking, and one count of aggravated assault.
Presently, Dugas is in police custody with bail set at $6.4 million and awaits a court appearance scheduled for November 29th.
SMPD Detectives suspect the individual may have attempted another carjacking and are requesting information from potential additional victims. Anyone with details pertinent to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Spencer at brian.spencer@santamonica.gov, Sergeant Gradle at ryan.gradle@santamonica.gov, or call 310-458-8427.
