CA - Three homeless men critical after baseball bat attacks in Los Angeles, Sept. '18 *Arrest*

[YESorNO]

Judge reverses order barring court photos of murder suspect

September 27, 2018

"LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge on Thursday reversed an order barring journalists from publishing courtroom photographs of a Texas man charged with beating to death three men in Southern California.

The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times successfully challenged Superior Court Judge Gustavo Sztraicher’s order as an unconstitutional intrusion on free speech.

Sztraicher on Wednesday ordered reporters to stop filming and photographing when an attorney for Ramon Escobar objected....

Investigators believe that Escobar, 47, bludgeoned his victims as they slept on the beach or on the streets in order to rob them. He was ordered held without bail pending a Nov. 8 arraignment...."

Judge reverses order barring court photos of murder suspect
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[YESorNO]

LA City Council Seeks To Designate Attacks On Homeless As Hate Crimes (with clip)

November 27, 2018

"LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution in support of legislation which would add homeless people to the list of those protected by California’s hate crime laws, this following a spree of brutal attacks earlier this year against transients in L.A.

Under the resolution, the council would support or sponsor legislation legislation which would allow for people “experiencing homelessness” to be added “to the list of those protected by the State’s hate crime law.”

The resolution, introduced by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, argues that an attack against a homeless person should be categorized as a hate crime because California’s laws “defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of the perceived characteristics of the victim.”

The resolution cites the arrest of 47-year-old Ramon Escobar, who is charged with murder and attempted murder in brutal attacks on at least eight mostly homeless people in downtown L.A. and Santa Monica throughout the month of September. Four of those victims died...."

LA City Council Seeks To Designate Attacks On Homeless As Hate Crimes
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[YESorNO]

Santa Monica Sued In Death Of Man Killed While Sleeping
The San Gabriel fisherman was killed while sleeping in a hammock under the Santa Monica Pier nearly a year ago.

Sep 5, 2019

"SANTA MONICA, CA — The city of Santa Monica and other parties were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of the minor son of a fisherman slain while sleeping in a hammock under the Santa Monica Pier nearly a year ago.

The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit additionally names the Santa Monica Pier Corp., the city of Los Angeles and the state of California, alleging negligence, premises liability and dangerous condition of property in connection with the Sept. 20 death of the boy's father, 39-year-old Steven Ray Cruze Jr. of San Gabriel.

Cruze slept under the pier to avoid driving home at night, according to the suit.

The plaintiff is identified only as J.C. in the 10-page complaint, which does not reveal the boy's age....

A mental competency hearing is scheduled Oct. 17 for Cruze's alleged killer, Ramon Escobar. The 47-year-old defendant is charged in a series of attacks in Los Angeles and Santa Monica that left a total of four men dead and eight other people injured -- some of whom were homeless.

He is charged with four counts of murder, eight counts of attempted murder and six counts of second-degree robbery stemming from his alleged crime spree between Sept. 8 and Sept. 24 last year....

"I think it was a crime of opportunity," he said. "... It appears the motive in most of these cases was robbery."..."

Santa Monica Sued In Death Of Man Killed While Sleeping