Man Found Dead on Bench in Santa Monica

A homeless man was found dead Friday on a bench in front of the Heritage Museum in Santa Monica, and the case is being investigated as a homicide, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said.

Mike Riddle, supervising investigator for the coroner’s office, described the victim as a 40-year-old black man with no known address. His name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

While the victim appears to have been knifed, Riddle declined to speculate on the cause of death pending an autopsy.

He said the victim, whose body was discovered near 2612 Main St., had a “lightweight” criminal record. Police Saturday said they had no information on the case.