Decorated Navy Seal Kills Man After Bar Fight on Santa Monica Pier

It is a tale as old as men in tall ships sailing the sea. Shore leave, bar fight, murder, and flight from police. A decorated Navy SEAL beat and stabbed a man Sunday after a bar fight on the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica police said Tuesday.

Theo Andrew Krah, 28, was arrested in San Diego on Monday. He fled back to the Naval base where he lived, two days after he and the other man had to be separated at the Santa Monica Pier by the SMPD. They then proceeded to meet each other nearby and continue the fight, this time to the death.

The murder happened at a parking garage less than half a mile from the Santa Monica Pier. The two men did not know each other prior to meeting on the Pier.

A crew from the fire department responding around 5 p.m. to a call about an injured man found a white male in his 50's lying unresponsive on 5th St. and suffering from "substantial head trauma," police said. He died early Sunday. Police have not yet released his name, but said he was a Santa Monica resident.

Second Class Petty Officer Krah is assigned to a special warfare unit based on Coronado Island, Navy spokesman Zach Keating told the Los Angeles Times. He enlisted four years ago and earned a Korean Defense Service medal for his service in South Korea. Krah has also been awarded a sea service deployment ribbon, Keating said.

Krah appeared at the Airport Superior Court on Wednesday morning, where he plead not guilty to a charge of First Degree Murder. The Court did not set bail.

Here's the press release from the SMPD:

On June 11, 2016 at approximately 5:06 p.m., the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) responded to a request for assistance from the Santa Monica Fire Department regarding a subject down in the 1300 block of 5th Street. The victim was unresponsive and suffered substantial head trauma. The victim was transported to a local hospital.

On June 12, 2016 at about 4:40 a.m., the victim succumbed from his injuries.

Further investigation revealed the decedent was the victim of an aggravated assault and stabbing. Santa Monica Detectives learned the decedent was involved in an altercation on the Santa Monica Pier earlier in the day. Follow up investigation led to the arrest of suspect, Theo Andrew Krah.

On June 13, 2016, Krah was taken into custody in the San Diego County area by SMPD Detectives. Krah was booked at SMPD Jail for homicide and is being held on a 2 million dollar bail.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Daniel Larios (310) 458-8937 or Sgt. Maury Sumlin (310) 458-8437 during normal business hours or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at (310) 458-8495.