Police Release Sketch of Stabbing Suspect

The Redondo Beach Police Department released Friday afternoon a sketch and surveillance video of the man suspected of stabbing two teens at the South Bay Galleria on Saturday night.

The sketch shows a grizzled black man wearing glasses and a hat, while the surveillance video shows a man walking quickly in the mall past the AMC Theaters ticketing area.

The two victims, who are both South Bay residents, are currently in stable condition at a nearby hospital. They are friends from school who had gone with a relative to see the 3:40 p.m. showing of Red Dawn at the theater. The two 13-year-olds were sitting on a bench near the movie theater on the third floor of the mall when the man walked up and stabbed them just after 7:20 p.m.

“The information that we’ve received is that (the attack) was completely unprovoked and that it occurred in a very rapid manner,” said Lt. Joe Hoffman of the Redondo Beach Police Department. The man did not say anything during the attack.

The victims stood and staggered toward the movie theater, where they collapsed. Mall security saw them and called police, who called paramedics, authorities said. The teens faded in and out of consciousness until they reached the hospital.

According to Hoffman, the 13-year-old boy was stabbed six times—four times in the arm, once in the chest area and once in the side. The 13-year-old girl was stabbed once in the chest area, once in the side and once in the clavicle.

"Both victims are stable. They are still hospitalized," said Hoffman in a news conference Friday afternoon. "Both of the victims did obtain life-threatening stab wounds."

The victims should be released from the hospital within a week, Hoffman said. He noted that police would not be releasing further identifying information at the request of the victims’ families.

No direct witnesses of the crime have contacted police; however, officers have received multiple tips via email from people who were in the mall at the time, Hoffman said.

“We’re following up on every little bit of (information),” he said. “Every little piece that we take might turn into the one break that we need.”

The surveillance video from the South Bay Galleria shows a crowd of people waiting in line at the movie theater ticket counter, as well as people milling around outside the theater. Police said the attack occurred just out of view of the camera.

“Look at all these people that are in the movie theater in the mall in proximity (to) where this happened,” Hoffman said. “Somebody saw this happen. Maybe they didn’t realize it was a stabbing … but somebody definitely saw the suspect either before, during or after this occurred … We need this person to come forward.”

Anyone with information on the attack or the identity of the attacker is asked to contact the Redondo Beach Police Department's tip line at 310-937-6685. People can also text their information to 310-339-2362 or email crimetips@redondo.org.

“This person is dangerous and unpredictable,” Hoffman said. “We want … to locate him because there’s a real possibility that somebody is going to get hurt.”

Previously:

• 2 Teens Stabbed at South Bay Galleria
• Police: Stabbing Apparently Unprovoked
• Galleria Steps up Security After Stabbings