Suspects in Santa Monica Murder Identified

Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr

Santa Monica police today released the names of the four suspects allegedly involved in Tuesday night's murder.

Patrick Dwight Birdsong Jr, 18; Norman Lovan Cole, 33; Sean Alex Mermer, 29; and a male juvenile were all booked on murder, attempted murder and "promoting of a street gang." Cole and Mermer were also charged with violating parole.

At around 8:52 p.m. Tuesday night, two of the named suspects approached and began shooting at a group of four people in Virginia Park on Pico Boulevard, a few blocks from Santa Monica College. Three people escaped safely, but 20-year-old Richard Juarez was killed.

A nearby police sergeant who heard the shots apprehended two of the suspects in a car. A police perimeter was formed in the neighborhood and the two other suspects were found by K9 and SWAT units.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the
Santa Monica Police Department, Criminal Investigations Division at (310) 458-8451 or the
Watch Commander at (310) 458-8427 (24 hours). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call We Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (1-800-78-27463).

Previously: Possible Connections in Murders in Venice, Santa Monica