Authorities investigating LA shooting and crash that injured dozens ask for tips to find gunman
Los Angeles police released surveillance photos Monday from cameras near the crash showing a man with a goatee wearing a blue Dodgers jacket and a light blue jersey with the number 5. Officials are asking for help in identifying him. The driver was identified Sunday as 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez. He is expected to face a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon. A phone number for Ramirez could not be found in an online database search, and the public defender's office has not responded to requests for comment on whether one of its attorneys is representing him.
The Vermont Hollywood nightclub was hosting a reggae hip-hop event Friday night, according to its calendar. People were leaving at the end of the event when the car crashed into them, the venue said online. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred early Saturday morning outside our venue,' the Vermont Hollywood club said. 'We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure the person responsible for this horrific act is held fully accountable.' Ramirez's car came to a stop after colliding with several food carts, which became lodged underneath the vehicle, police said. Injuries ranged from minor pain to serious fractures and lacerations, and some people were briefly trapped beneath the vehicle, police said.
Ramirez has a criminal history that includes an aggravated battery conviction for a 2019 attack on a Black man who worked at a Whole Foods grocery store in Laguna Beach, California. He was also convicted of a civil rights misdemeanor and race-based hate crime after expressing to police that he hated Black people. That was later overturned in 2021 after a California appeals court found he made that statement after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. 'Ramirez has proved to be violent to strangers and family alike and clearly has a lack of concern for the safety of others,' Orange County prosecutors said in a court filing at the time. He also pleaded guilty in 2014 to battery and a gang-related charge and in 2021 to domestic violence, records show. A 2024 drunken driving case and 2022 domestic violence charge were pending at the time of the nightclub crash, according to records.
___ Associated Press reporter Ed White contributed from Detroit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
A man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart is in Michigan authorities' custody
Chaos unfolded at a Walmart in Michigan after a man burst into the store during a calm shopping afternoon and stabbed 11 people at random, authorities say. The attack on Saturday left six victims in critical condition and a suspect in custody. The 42-year-old suspect entered the store shortly before 5 p.m. and used a folding knife to stab 11 people, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. A sheriff's deputy arrived within minutes and took the man into custody. People in the store also helped apprehend the suspect and treat victims, the sheriff's office said. The victims ages weren't immediately released. 'Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn't more,' Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters. Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping center that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags nearby as the response gave way to an investigation. Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Traverse City, said she was in the store's parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her. 'It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,' she said. 'This is something you see out of the movies. It's not what you expect to see where you're living.' Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region's largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six people were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said. Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife. Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details. Michigan State Police had said earlier in the day that the suspect was in authorities' custody. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: 'Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.' Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. 'Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured, and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders,' the statement said. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to provide any necessary support. Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries, and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Al Arabiya
10 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Landlord imprisoned for hate-crime attack on Palestinian American family has died
A landlord sentenced to decades in prison after he killed a Palestinian American boy and wounded his mother has died. Three months ago, Joseph Czuba was sentenced to 53 years behind bars for the attack. He was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of the boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen. The 73-year-old Czuba targeted them in October 2023 because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, which started days earlier. Czuba died Thursday in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to a statement from the Will County Sheriff's Office. Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations' Chicago office, said in a statement on Saturday that 'this depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.' Evidence at trial included harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes before handing in a verdict. The family had been renting rooms in Czuba's home in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago when the attack happened. Central to prosecutors' case was harrowing testimony from the boy's mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Czuba's wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier. Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child's body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee's relatives. The attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Wadee's funeral drew large crowds, and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honor.
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Arab News
Landlord imprisoned for decades in hate-crime attack on Palestinian American family has died
JOLIET: A landlord sentenced to decades in prison after he killed a Palestinian American boy and wounded his mother has months ago, Joseph Czuba was sentenced to 53 years behind bars for the attack. He was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of the boy's mother, Hanan 73-year-old Czuba targeted them in October 2023 because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, which started days died Thursday in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to a statement from the Will County Sheriff's Rehab, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations' Chicago office, said in a statement on Saturday that 'this depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.'Evidence at trial included harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes before handing in a family had been renting rooms in Czuba's home in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago when the attack to prosecutors' case was harrowing testimony from the boy's mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Czuba's wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child's body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee's attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Wadee's funeral drew large crowds, and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honor.
