By Lookout Staff

March 16, 2021 -- A man on parole for murder faces felony charges after assaulting his wheelchair-bound girlfriend in her Santa Monica apartment "throughout the night," police said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday charged Simco Warmsley Morris Jr., a 52-year-old black male, with domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon.

Officers responded to a call at around 7:32 Thursday morning from a woman in Los Angeles who said her friend was being held against her will inside her apartment on the 1400 block of Lincoln Boulevard, police said.

She told Santa Monica’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) that her friend had "texted her asking for police assistance," said SMPD spokesman Lt. Rudy Flores. The caller said the victim told her that "her boyfriend had assaulted her, made threats to kill her and was not allowing her to use the telephone, Flores said. The caller also said the victim was confined to a wheelchair and couldn't leave the unit, he said.

SMPD’s Crisis Negotiations and SWAT teams also responded and "made several attempts to contact both victim and suspect, with no results."

When officers learned that Morris was on parole for murder, they entered the unit "fearing that the victim was in danger," Flores said.

They contacted the suspect and victim without incident, and the victim verified she had been "assaulted by the suspect throughout the night."

Santa Monica Fire Department paramedics treated the victim and transported her to a local hospital.

SMPD reminded residents that if they can't call 9-1-1 or communicate verbally during an emergency, they can contact police, fire and emergency medical dispatchers by sending a text directly to 911.

"This service is very useful to those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired and those who need help when an emergency is in progress and the caller is fearful of speaking or cannot speak," Flores said.

Anyone who is experiencing domestic violence or knows someone who is should call their local law enforcement agency or Santa Monica’s Domestic Violence Shelter hotline at 310-264-6644.