Authorities Monday released the name of a 92-year-old man whose body was found inside a home on The Strand in Hermosa Beach following a welfare check that led to the eventual arrest of a barricaded suspect.
Officers responded at 12:37 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 500 block of The Strand to conduct a welfare check, according to Hermosa Beach officials.
“The reporting party stated that a tenant who lives alone had not been heard from in several days,” according to the statement.
A realtor requested the welfare check after not hearing from the homeowner, KCAL9 reported.
“Upon arrival, officers observed evidence suggesting a possible deceased person was inside the residence,” city officials said. “The property manager allowed officers access to the location, where they encountered an individual inside who was not the tenant.”.
That person, identified by ABC7 as 39-year-old Robert Simmons, allegedly was uncooperative and made statements indicating possibly being armed before holing up inside the home.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department online inmate records, Simmons, who was booked on suspicion of murder Saturday evening, was listed as a male, under the name Elanor Beaulieu, and was being held at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles in lieu of $2 million.
A previous booking for Robert Simmons, on Feb. 23, 2026 following an alleged misdemeanor petty theft offense, listed the suspect’s gender as non-binary.
On Saturday, SWAT personnel from the Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Hawthorne police departments responded to assist. Crisis negotiators established contact with the suspect and negotiated for several hours in an effort to secure a safe surrender.
Approximately seven hours after the initial dispatch, the suspect emerged dressed in what appeared to be formal attire — a dark suit, white shirt, dark tie and dark sunglasses, with hair tied back in a bun under a fedora.
Officers served a search warrant and found a man’s body inside the home. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office identified him as Demetrius Doukoullos, 92, of Hermosa Beach.
The standoff forced the evacuation of dozens of residents and tourists before the nattily dressed suspect was safely taken into custody.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Callers who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.