Suspect arrested in brutal beating that left San Pedro teen in coma

LONG BEACH (KABC) -- Detectives arrested a 20-year-old man in Long Beach in connection with the brutal beating of a San Pedro teen that took place in March and left the victim in a coma at the time.

Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lomita Station arrested Jaymel Williams, 20, in Long Beach Thursday morning.

He is a suspect in the beating of Evan Jimenez, 15, who was attacked on March 30 by suspected gang members as he was walking home with a girl.

The attack left Jimenez in a medically-induced coma at the time, but he was later released from the hospital.

Investigators said in May they had identified Williams as one of two suspects in the beating. At the time he was already in custody in a neighboring county on unrelated charges.

On Thursday, authorities announced that Williams had been booked on attempted murder charges and is being held on $1 million bail.

No word yet on a second individual described only as a "person of interest" in the case.

Jimenez was walking home with a girl on March 30 when he was severely beaten by suspected gang members. As they were walking, two men approached them and asked about his gang affiliation. He said he wasn't with a gang, but they grabbed a liquor bottle and beat him severely.

At the time, authorities described the severity of the attack as close to a homicide, and family members say Jimenez at one point was placed in a medically-induced coma. He was later released from the hospital for recovery.

A GoFundMe page was established to help with his recovery.