LOS ANGELES _ A man suspected of pummeling several homeless men with a baseball bat in downtown Los Angeles last week, leaving two dead and a third critically injured, was captured by police in Santa Monica after allegedly committing a similar attack Monday morning, authorities said.
Ramon Escobar, 47, was arrested around 7:30 a.m. by Santa Monica police in connection with an attack that left a homeless man unconscious, authorities said. Roughly 30 minutes later, officers spotted a suspect, later identified as Escobar, and arrested him without incident, Santa Monica Police Lt. Saul Rodriguez said.
In a news release issued later Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department said Escobar had been booked on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a series of brutal attacks on homeless men who were sleeping in downtown's Financial District earlier this month.
A news conference to discuss Escobar's arrest has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to the LAPD.
The victim in the Monday morning attack in Santa Monica appeared to be homeless and was either sitting or leaning against a wall when he was struck, Rodriguez said. It was not clear whether the victim was asleep at the time, or if a robbery took place. No weapon was recovered, and it was not clear if a baseball bat was used in Monday's attack.
The victim, whose identity was not released, remained unconscious and in critical condition at a hospital Monday afternoon, Rodriguez said.
Escobar's arrest came on the heels of attacks in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica that left three dead and a fourth person critically injured. In each of the prior attacks, the victims suffered blunt force trauma to their heads after being pummeled while they slept outside, police have said.
Around 4 a.m. on Sept. 16, a man smashed a baseball bat across the head and shoulders of a homeless man sleeping in downtown Los Angeles, the LAPD has said. The 59-year-old victim died of his injuries two days later, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Less than an hour later, the same person attacked two other homeless men who were sleeping in the area. One of the victims, a 20-year-old man, also died of his injuries on Thursday. The third victim was hospitalized in critical condition.
The victims' identities have not been released, pending notification of their families. The LAPD believes the suspect was also homeless and trying to rob isolated targets. He could be seen rummaging through the victims' pockets on surveillance footage recovered from the area, police said.
Two of the downtown assaults were caught on video, and two law enforcement officials told the Los Angeles Times that the surveillance images were key in linking Escobar to the slayings. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the case candidly.
A motive remains unclear, and Escobar refused to talk to investigators on Monday, according to one of the officials. Last week, the LAPD suggested robbery may have been the motive in the downtown killings.
It is also unclear whether Escobar is also suspected in the killing of Steven Ray Cruze Jr., a 39-year-old San Gabriel man who was found beaten to death under the Santa Monica Pier last week. Santa Monica police initially said they were working with the LAPD to investigate whether that case was linked.
"General" Jeff Page, a skid row community activist, said some community members had grown concerned that the attacks were racially motivated, since the victims in the downtown beatings were all identified by police as black men. Page said he was relieved to hear the suspect had been captured, but pressed for answers about a motive behind the killings.
"We're glad that he's apprehended, so that lightens the focus and collective concern in terms of watching out for these random people with potential weapons. At the same time, we're looking forward to some type of post-arrest interview," he said. "Were these hate crimes? Were these anti-homelessness?"
