Homeless man charged with attempted murder after attacking beachgoer

His bail was set at $2 million while he remains in custody

By Zach Armstrong

A homeless man has been charged with attempted murder after attacking a beachgoer in Santa Monica last week.

On September 19, a 28-year-old male victim reported being strangled from behind while fishing at the waterline in the 2000 Block of the Beach. The victim, a West Hollywood resident, sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his neck and was transported to a local hospital.

John Broeksmit, a 31-year-old homeless man from Illinois, fled the scene before police arrived, but was later found and arrested thanks to descriptions from the victim and witnesses.

Broeksmit's criminal record includes incidents that all occurred this year, such as public drunkenness, possession of a weapon on school property and tampering with a fire alarm. Most recently, he was arrested earlier this month for burglary and public drunkenness. He has not been convicted of a crime.

His bail was set at $2 million while he remains in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or suspect is asked to contact Detective Zamfirov at [email protected] or the 24/7 Watch Commander Desk at (310) 458-8427.