Woman 'Significantly' Injured, Suspect Sought In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach Police officers sought the community's help Wednesday evening in locating an attempted murder suspect after he was allegedly involved in a domestic violence incident Wednesday.

Officers were dispatched to a home in the 1600 block of Tahiti Avenue that morning at around 8 a.m. and found a woman who was suffering from "significant injuries." The nature of her injuries was not disclosed.

The victim was treated by firefighter-paramedics before being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Her condition was not known as of Tuesday evening.

Investigators said the victim was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, 31-year-old Charles Kelley, who apparently had broken into her home hours earlier. Kelley fled the scene before police arrived, authorities said.

Nearby Thurston Middle School and Laguna Beach High School were placed on alert as a response to the incident, but authorities deemed that there was no threat posed to either school at any time.

The suspect, identified as Charles Thomas Kelley IV, was described by police as a White man with brown hair and blue eyes. He stands at 6'1" and weighs around 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark blue jacket, grey T-shirt and black pants, police said.

Residents who encounter Kelley or know of his whereabouts were asked to call 911 or the Laguna Beach Police Department at 949-497-0701.

Residents with additional information about Kelley were asked to reach out to Detective M. Lee with the Major Crimes and Intelligence Unit at 949-497-0371 or MLee@lagunabeachcity.net.

A previous version of this report mistakenly identified the victim as being age 31. The story has been updated. We regret the error.