Suspect Arrested, Victim Identified in Killing on Hospital Grounds in Santa Monica

By Jorge Casuso

July 9, 2018 -- Investigators on Tuesday plan to present the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office with a murder case against Daniel Roy Davis, 29, in the stabbing death of a homeless man on a hospital bench in Santa Monica Friday.

Police arrested Davis the same day near Saint John's Health Center, where the body of Justin Patrick Lee, 41, was found by hospital staff slumped on a park bench early Friday morning.

The Coroner's office on Sunday released the name of the victim, who police said was apparently stabbed and suffered a "blunt force injury to his upper torso." Police arrested Davis after recovering evidence that linked him to the crime, said Lt. Saul Rodriguez, the Police Department spokesman. “As detectives were canvassing the area, they located Davis in the immediate area of the 2300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard,” Rodriguez said. “Detectives gathered evidence linking Davis to the crime.”

Davis was arrested on suspicion of murder and jailed in lieu of $2 million bail, police said.

Rodriguez said the incident took place in an area tucked away from the hospital, according to news reports.

It remains unclear whether Lee, who lived on the streets in the area, was a patient at the hospital.

It also remain unclear whether Davis, whose place of residence was not disclosed, knew his alleged victim, according to reports.

Hospital officials said Friday that they were "deeply saddened to learn a body was discovered this morning on the Providence Saint John’s Health Center campus.”

“We are working with Santa Monica Police, and are asking our employees and the public to report to the police anything noteworthy they may have observed in the area over the last 12 hours,” hospital spokesperson Patricia Aidem said in a statement.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to call Santa Monica police at (310) 458-8491 or Detective Elias at (310) 458-8943.