Bay City News
Police in Monterey arrested a man suspected in the beating of another man earlier this week, the department said Friday.
On Tuesday morning, police were called to the area of Reeside Avenue and the Recreation Trail on a report of a man severely injured after an attack.
The victim, an unhoused man, flagged down a passerby for help. He told police that he was hit with a crowbar or something similar. The man had a significant injury to his hand, as well as lacerations to the back of his head, back and leg. He was taken to the hospital for advanced care, but is expected to survive.
According to police, the man said he was walking in the area of the Recreation Trail near the basketball court at the Coast Guard Pier when he was attacked without provocation. He provided police with a description of the suspect.
Police identified 65-year-old David Thomas as the suspect in this case and arrested him at Alma and Washington streets on Thursday.
Based on the circumstances leading up to the alleged attack and injuries sustained by the victim, Thomas was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He is being held in jail with bail set at $1 million.
"The motive of this incident is still under investigation, but Monterey Police Detectives have determined Thomas was involved in a number of incidents where he expressed anti-homeless views," said the police department in statement.
Thomas told the police he himself was unhoused, the department said.
Police also allege that park rangers said Thomas complained to them about unhoused individuals, and he allegedly said that if they weren't going to do more to address the problem, that he "would take action himself."
In November 2023, Thomas was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly struck a homeless individual with an expandable metal baton. Thomas pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of an illegal club and was given 40 days in jail and one year of probation, according to police.
Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
Most Popular
Comments / 0