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# Woman raped at Virginia Ave. Park
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/woman-raped-at-virginia-ave-park/
- Published: 2006-07-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:51:42.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Safety an issue in Pico park*

VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK — Police were searching Tuesday for a 20-year-old Hispanic man wanted in connection with a sexual assault that occurred here earlier in the day.

Officers said the victim was using a pay phone about 6:10 a.m. in the 2200 block of Virginia Avenue when the suspect approached her and raped her, police said. The suspect fled on a bicycle. The color or brand of bike was not available.

The victim was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released, police said.

The attack was the second violent incident to occur at the recently-renovated park in the last week.

On Friday, July 7 at 8:45 p.m., police said a young Hispanic man was shot in the upper torso while at the park. He was transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. As of Monday afternoon, police were still searching for the suspect.

“My concern is that this incident further raises the issue of whether or not the park is a safe place to be,” said Betty Macias, who manages the park. “For the most part, I think this is still a safe place. I mean, how do you account for something like this? It could have happened anywhere. I really don’t know what to say about it, except that there has been an increased police presence here during regular program hours.”

The 9.5-acre park officially reopened in December after a $13 million expansion and renovation that was intended to clean up the aging and outdated space, where troubled teens outnumbered families.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 12, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071206.pdf?ref=smdp.com)