Michigan man found guilty of murdering man in Santa Monica parking lot
Mohamed Abou-Arabi, Santa Monica Police Department
LOS ANGELES - A man from Michigan was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2022 death of a man in Santa Monica.
On November 2, 2022, Santa Monica police officers located a man dead inside a vehicle in a parking lot north of the pier. Police said the victim, who was only identified as a resident of Dearborn, Michigan, was stabbed multiple times.
The victim had recently purchased the vehicle from a private party in Southern California.
After searching the car and collecting DNA evidence, police were able to identify the suspect as Mohamed Abou-Arabi, who was also a Dearborn resident.
A warrant was then issued for Abou-Arabi’s arrest. Police in Santa Monica and Dearborn were able to pinpoint his movements from California back to Michigan following the murder.
In January 2023, Santa Monica detectives flew to Michigan and arrested Abou-Arabi
for murder. He was booked into the Santa Monica Jail on January 18, 2023, and has
been in the custody of LA County since that time.
In September 2024, Abou-Arabi was found guilty of first-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
According to the police department, Abou-Arabi has no prior arrests or convictions in California, but he has two prior arrests for misdemeanor weapons offenses in Michigan.
A motive for the killing is unknown. According to Press & Guide, the victim was a friend of Abou-Arabi.