Man who allegedly assaulted sleeping victim in Fresno was ‘having a bad day’

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – After almost a month of searching for the suspect who assaulted a homeless man in the Tower District, Fresno Police arrested 25-year-old, Roberto Felipe Olivera.

Olivera surrendered himself to Fresno Police on Wednesday . When asked what provoked him to assault the sleeping man on the street, he said he was having a bad day.

“I think he’s going to have a lot of bad days in prison and he deserves it,” said Mike Karbassi, Fresno City Council Vice President, District 2.

Karbassi was disgusted when he first saw the brutal attack caught on surveillance video of Olivera repeatedly kicking the 47-year-old victim in the head. Last week, he put up a $1,000 reward, in hopes that it would lead to an arrest.

“It was just vulgar, and we shouldn’t have that in our community,” Karbassi said.

For weeks, the Fresno Police Department showed the video to businesses and residents, hoping someone knew the suspect.  On Wednesday, Olivera was identified.

Fresno Police worked with Olivera’s family to coordinate his surrender. He was booked into the Fresno County Jail for felony assault charges.

The victim, who suffered significant injuries to the head, has since been released from the hospital. Interim Chief Mindy Casto said he’s doing well.

“He’s trying to work and he’s putting his life back together. Hopefully, this has been a catalyst for him to to put his life on a different track as well,” Casto said.

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