Eric Michael Perrine, 18

Eric Michael Perrine, an 18-year-old Latino, was fatally stabbed Wednesday, Oct. 3, in the 1600 block of Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

At 8:12 p.m., officers from the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon at Tongva Park, according to a news release from the department.

Officers found Perrine on a park bench with a stab wound and saw another man running away, police said. Perrine was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:16 p.m., according to coroner’s records. The man fleeing the scene was detained.

Records show that Perrine was stabbed once and died in surgery.

The man fleeing was identified as Joseph Ramirez Perez, a 21-year-old Latino, and arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.

Detectives believe that Perrine was sleeping on the park bench before he was stabbed.

Ramirez Perez has been charged with one count of murder with the allegation that he used a knife as a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (310) 458-8942 or (310) 458-2233. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

FOR THE RECORD: A previous post incorrectly labeled Perrine as white. He was Latino. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @nicolesantacruz and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.