San Luis Obispo man charged with murder in Southern California

July 31, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Los Angeles County prosecutors charged a 35-year-old San Luis Obispo man with the murder of a woman who died in Santa Monica last weekend.

Just after 5:20 p.m. on July 25, Santa Monica police received a call about a woman who needed medical assistance inside an apartment in the 1900 block of Pico Boulevard. Officers arrived and found the woman suffering from significant injuries.

Despite lifesaving measures performed by fire personnel, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

Santa Monica detectives and forensic personnel immediately began investigating the death as a homicide. Detectives coordinated with regional law enforcement partners and shared information about a possible suspect that police garnered from witness statements.

At about 8 p.m. that evening, Los Angeles Police Department officers located the suspect, Taylor Roger Free, after receiving an alert from Santa Monica police. LAPD officers found Free near Crenshaw and Exposition boulevards in Los Angeles. 

Officers arrested Free and transported him to the Santa Monica Police Department Jail. Free currently remains in custody with his bail set at $2 million.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Free with one count of murder.

The investigation into the case remains ongoing. Investigators ask that anyone who has information related to the incident contact the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.