Body Washes Ashore

By Jorge Casuso

The body of a partially clothed man police believe drowned in the waters off Santa Monica Beach was discovered near Pico Boulevard Sunday morning.

The body - which washed ashore on the 1900 block of the beach -- was reported by Los Angeles County Lifeguards at 11:40 a.m., said Santa Monica police spokesman Lt. Gary Gallinot.

"A preliminary investigation indicates that it may have been a drowning," Gallinot said.

The Los Angeles Coroners Office has been notified and will take custody of the body, he said. No further information will be available until an autopsy is performed.

The body found Sunday marks the fourth death recorded along the popular stretch of beach since Oct. 12, when German tourist Horst Fietze was gunned down near the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Feitze was killed two block from where the body was found Sunday.

Since Fietze's killing - which made international headlines --, two other bodies have been found along a popular stretch of beach lined with luxury oceanfront hotels and frequented by a steady stream of joggers, skaters and bicyclists.

On Nov. 1, the body of Richard Wayne Bingel, 46, was found on the beach near Ocean Park Boulevard. Bingel was beaten to death and his body partially buried in the sand.

Three weeks later, on Nov. 22, the body of Richard Wayne Whelchel Jr., a local homeless man, was found stabbed to death on the 1100 block of the beach.

All three bodies found on the beach since Feitze's killing were discovered on a Sunday.