Woman Shot on Pico Boulevard

A gunman sprayed bullets at a car Saturday evening, striking a woman multiple times on busy Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica police reported.

A suspect is in custody, but not yet booked on charges. The unidentified woman is hospitalized in serious condition. She is expected to survive, according to police. No one else was injured.

UPDATE: Police Name Suspect in Pico Shooting

The shooting happened at about 5 p.m. after the woman darted into the intersection from 18th Street to flag down cars, saying she needed help leaving the area, according to spokesman Sgt. Richard Lewis. A car with two people inside stopped to help and she jumped in, but before the car could drive off, the gunman ran onto the sidewalk and fired multiple rounds at her, the sergeant said.

"Everybody is uncooperative... so we can't tell you why this took place," Lewis said.

The vehicle drove to Pico and Lincoln boulevards, where the driver stopped to call for help, he said.

After shooting the woman, the gunman fled west into neighborhoods on 17th, 18th and 19th streets, according to the police. He was apprehended about an hour and a half later.

The suspect was a passenger in a car that officers stopped as it left a police perimeter, Lewis said. A gun inside the car was recovered.

Lewis told the Santa Monica Mirror the victim was taking part in a charity car wash fundraiser at Wicc Christian Bookstore before she was shot.

Sunset Park resident Monet Melon said she talked to multiple witnesses while dining nearby at Grey Block Pizza.

"A girl next to us said there were shots fired right before we came in. She said she heard five," Melon said. "One guy said he saw a man running, gun in hand, down the alley adjacent to Grey Block's parking lot."

— City News Service contributed to this report.

Stay connected with Santa Monica Patch throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter for email updates.