South Pasadena police arrested a 21-year-old local man on suspicion of attempted murder after officers responded to an assault report on the 1500 block of Bank Street at approximately 5:47 a.m. Saturday and found a female victim with visible physical injuries. Investigators determined the man allegedly attempted to strangle the woman, according to police.
Izhar Santiago was located and detained at the scene, then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, as reported by South Pasadenan News. Another man who was inside the residence intervened and separated the two individuals before police arrived, per the department's release. Santiago was later transported to Pasadena City Jail, where he was booked.
Police have not released the relationship between the individuals involved, nor have they disclosed the victim's current condition. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details about what led up to the confrontation have been made public.
Why Strangulation Cases Draw Heightened Scrutiny
Non-fatal strangulation is treated by law enforcement and domestic violence advocates as a serious red flag rather than a minor injury. Victims who survive being strangled by an intimate partner are 750% more likely to later be killed by that same partner, according to research cited by the SAFE Alliance, drawing on findings published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine. That statistic is a major reason strangulation allegations are investigated and charged with particular urgency, even when a victim survives.
Whether Santiago ultimately faces attempted murder or a lesser charge will depend on what Los Angeles County prosecutors conclude once they review the case. Under California Penal Code Sections 664/187, attempted murder carries a sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole if it is found to be willful, deliberate and premeditated, or five, seven or nine years in state prison if charged as second-degree attempted murder, according to DCD Law.
What Prosecutors Must Prove
To sustain an attempted murder conviction, prosecutors must establish both a specific intent to kill and a direct, unequivocal step toward taking a life, beyond mere preparation, per Power Trial Lawyers. Reckless conduct or implied malice alone is not legally sufficient to sustain that charge. If investigators or the District Attorney's Office cannot establish intent to kill beyond a reasonable doubt, the case could instead be filed as assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury under Penal Code Section 245(a)(4), a common alternative in non-fatal strangulation cases that carries a sentence of up to four years in state prison, according to the Kraut Law Group.
Santiago was booked and held at Pasadena City Jail rather than in South Pasadena because the South Pasadena Police Department relies on the neighboring city's jail facility for extended pre-arraignment detention under a municipal agreement, per Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds. The South Pasadena department books suspects at its Mission Street station but does not maintain long-term holding capacity there. Individuals booked at the Pasadena facility on violent felony allegations undergo mandatory health screenings during intake, part of medical services the City of Pasadena contracts out under a five-year, $1.6 million agreement with Vital Medical Services, LLC.
A Rare Violent Crime for a Low-Crime City
Incidents like this one stand out sharply against South Pasadena's typical crime picture. The city recorded 486 total Part 1 crimes in 2025, including 11 aggravated assaults and zero homicides, for a violent crime rate of 1.8 per 1,000 residents, according to Los Angeles County data. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics also show South Pasadena recorded zero criminal homicides in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the city's violent crime rate in 2019 ran more than 70% below both the national and California statewide averages, per CityRating.com.
The South Pasadena Police Department, which is budgeted for 37 sworn officers, 9 dispatchers and 11 professional staff members under Chief of Police Brian Solinsky, is continuing to investigate. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the department at (626) 403-7270, or to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).
