By Lookout Staff

June 17, 2025 -- A Long Beach man is facing felony charges after he dragged an elderly woman into a Downtown alley on the night of June 5 and tried to rape her, according to police.

Officers responded to a call at around 9:30 p.m. reporting of a woman screaming for help near the intersection of 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, police said.

When they arrived officers found an 84-year-old Santa Monica resident who "appeared to be in distress," said Lt. Lewis Gilmour, the Police Department spokesperson.

"The victim reported that she was approached and grabbed from behind by a male suspect who then dragged her into a nearby alley and attempted to sexually assault her," Gilmour said.

The victim's account was corroborated by multiple witnesses at the scene who told police the suspect had fled northbound from the area, he said.

Officers quickly located and detained the suspect -- identified as 39-year-old Long Beach resident Pape Tall -- near 5th Street and California Avenue, according to Gilmour.

On June 9, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed felony charges against Tall that include kidnapping with intent to commit rape, assault with intent to commit rape and violating probation.

Tall remains in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and is being held without bail at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, according to the Sheriff's Inmate Information Center.

He is scheduled to appear at LAX Superior Court on July 9.

The Santa Monica Police Department asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact Detective Maricela Orta at (310) 458-2293 (maricela.orta@santamonica.gov), Sergeant Chad Goodwin at (310) 458-8931, or the Watch Commander’s desk at (310) 458-8427, available 24 hours a day.