As of September 1, 2011, ALL 1,875 retail establishments are prohibited from providing light-weight, single-use plastic carryout bags to customers at the point of sale. MORE

By Lookout Staff

September 14, 2011 -- A homeless man man was beaten and robbed Sunday night on the beach near the end of Ocean Park Boulevard.

His assailant left him bleeding and unconscious, Police Spokesman Sergeant Richard Lewis said. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is unresponsive and in critical condition.

Police say they responded to a report of a man lying on the ground between the bike path and the beach restrooms while a man stood above him, taking his property.

When police arrived around 9 p.m, they found the victim bleeding profusely. He appeared to have been hit around the head and face with an unknown object, police said.

Two suspects were detained at the scene, one of whom was homeless. The suspect who was not homeless was later released, although he is still considered a witness.

Investigators believe that there were additional witnesses to the crime. As the victim is still unconscious, they need anyone who witnessed the alleged assault and robbery to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Larios at (310) 458-8937 or Sergeant Rutan at (310) 458-8959 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at (310) 458-8495.