The Santa Monica Police Department arrested 37-year-old Loriana Christine Tippin Saturday as a suspect in an attempted carjacking incident that led to a hit-and-run charge.
The incident, according to Santa Monica Police officials, happened on 2nd Street between Broadway and Colorado around 2 p.m., when a driver exited his vehicle during a verbal argument with a someone on a bike. While the driver was away from the vehicle, the suspect, Tippin, allegedly got into the car, which had been left running, and drove off.
“The driver/victim ran back to his truck and attempted to stop the suspect. As the suspect was executing a U-TURN to drive off, the victim and an additional unrelated second victim who was in his wheelchair was struck by the vehicle,” according to Santa Monica Police officials. “The suspect made no attempts to stop and continued to drive off northbound on 2nd street. Numerous witnesses intervened and a SMPD Traffic Service Officers stopped the suspect at 2nd Street and Broadway until officers arrived and took the suspect into custody.”
Officials said that both victims were transported to nearby hospitals and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The suspect is facing multiple charges, including carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, felony hit-and-run, and driving without a license. Bail was set at $125,000.
