The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has declined to bring charges against the homeless man who slashed a Santa Monica College student early Friday morning in Tongva Park.

Police told the Daily Press the student struck the homeless man first, who retaliated by stabbing the younger man in the throat, face and head.

The DA’s Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago did not elaborate on the decision to drop the charges against 29-year-old Javon Patton.

The victim, 20-year-old Miles O’Brien, was celebrating the end of summer vacation with some friends when he said Patton approached them in the park. The friends told the Daily Press Patton was acting “fidgety and jumpy” when he walked toward them and began shouting. After a brief scuffle, Patton slashed O’Brien with a makeshift weapon created out of a metal picture frame.

O’Brien received ten stitches after the incident and will likely have the scars for the rest of his life.

kate@smdp.com