Evidence from the crime scene and subsequent investigative efforts culminated in the LA County District Attorney’s Office charging
Mohamed Abou-Arabi, a 25-year-old from Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced on January 13, to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of a man found stabbed in a Santa Monica beach parking lot in 2022.
On November 2, 2022, Santa Monica Police Officers were dispatched to Lot 1 North, located just north of the Santa Monica Pier, following reports of suspicious circumstances. A parking attendant had discovered a man unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, showing signs of bleeding. The victim was later pronounced dead from stab wounds.
Investigations led by the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) identified Abou-Arabi as the suspect. Evidence from the crime scene and subsequent investigative efforts culminated in the LA County District Attorney’s Office charging Abou-Arabi with murder, enhanced by the use of a knife in the attack. An arrest warrant was issued for him.
In January 2023, SMPD detectives traveled to Michigan, where they arrested Abou-Arabi. After a trial in September 2024, he was convicted of First-Degree Murder. The sentencing included an additional one-year enhancement for the use of a knife.