A homeless man only identified as “David” was found dead on the beach Monday morning.
Santa Monica Police responded to a call from the city’s beach maintenance crew at 7:37 a.m. who reported a possible dead body was lying near “muscle beach” just south of the pier.
Los Angeles County lifeguard para-medics and SMPD officers arrived on scene, who determined he was dead. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office removed the body and brought it to the morgue. His identity won’t be released until his family is notified.
The man, who was in his 40s, was described as an avid chess player by those who knew him. An anonymous source said “David” had been homeless for quite a while and slept near the chess park. In the past two weeks, “David’s” mental state declined because was not taking his medication, the source said.
“He fell off a ledge and he didn’t look like he was going to get back on it,” he said. “But he was a very strong (chess) player. He could hold his own.”
The source also said “David” told him his mother had died when he was young and his father, who lives in Lancaster, disowned him years ago.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 27, 2002. Read the original PDF.