Santa Barbara “Death Warrant” Suspect Nabbed in L.A.

Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood reported to the media today that Courtney Anthony Robinson, a.k.a. David Ben Keyes, who had been sought by SBPD Detectives as a “person of interest” in a pair of recent beach area stabbings, has been apprehended by Los Angeles Police in connection with three additional knife attacks of a similar nature.

Courtney Robinson

Harwood indicated that the Santa Barbara stabbings, which took place June 26, 2012, and July 1, 2012, victimized two area homeless men and left them with serious but non-life threatening wounds.  In his report to the media, Harwood indicated that “these are open cases” and would only verify that the Los Angeles episodes did not follow the same pattern as the Santa Barbara stabbings in which the attacker left his knife in each of his victims.  Harwood further described rambling “death warrant” notes left at each of the Santa Barbara attack scenes which were signed by Robinson’s known alias, “David Ben Keyes”.

Robinson in "happier" times

Robinson’s arrest was made pursuant to a phone call that he made to LAPD Detectives in which he identified himself as the “death warrant stabber”.  According to LAPD Media spokesperson Officer Norma Eisenman, Robinson, 37, surrendered without incident and “is the individual responsible for the two homeless stabbings in LAPD’s jurisdiction.”  She added that Robinson had also revealed knowledge of the Santa Barbara assaults prior to his booking into Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center where he is currently held on $500,000 bail.

Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking, Facebook

Read more:

Huffington Post: Courtney Anthony Robinson Arrested: Homeless Stabbing Suspect Turns Himself In

CBS Los Angeles: Homeless Stabbings Suspect Turns Himself In

Noozhawk: Death Warrant Stabbing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty