Giovanni Ramirez, 31, of Los Angeles, was arrested just after 7 a.m. Sunday at an apartment building in the 800 block of North Mariposa Avenue in east Hollywood. He was booked for assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on $1 million bail.
Authorities said they believe Ramirez, a parolee, is one of two attackers who severely beat Bryan Stow in a Dodgers Stadium parking lot on March 31. Stow, 42, has been in and out of a medically induced coma since the assault.
Officials identified Ramirez as the primary aggressor in the attack. The second suspect is still at large. Police are also searching for a woman who allegedly drove the men away from the scene.
SWAT officers and detectives served two search warrants Sunday, one at the apartment where Ramirez was arrested and another at a home. Several people were detained for questioning and evidence was seized, including a Honda Civic. Officials did not specify how many people were detained or whether they were male or female.
Armed officers surrounded the apartment and using a bullhorn ordered the occupants out. Neighbors said a family lives in the unit where the suspect was arrested.
Witnesses said the man arrested matches a sketch released by police.
Detectives said they got the break they needed late last week when they got a tip from a parole officer. Ramirez was convicted of attempted robbery in 1998, robbery in 1999 and firing a weapon in a public place in 2005.
"This new development is a reminder of the progress we make by working together as a community and with law enforcement to ensure justice is carried out," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement. "Any piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time, is part of a larger puzzle."
Stow was relocated from the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center to San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center so he could be closer to his family.
The Giants released the following statement regarding the latest developments:
"Today's arrest in the Bryan Stow case is welcome news in what has been a very difficult time for the Stow family. We commend the Los Angeles Police Department for their hard work and we are confident that they will continue to dedicate themselves until all of those responsible for this senseless act of violence have been brought to justice. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Bryan Stow and his family and we thank the community for its tremendous support for the family during this difficult time."
"Our thoughts today are with Bryan Stow and his family and we hope that this announcement brings them a small measure of relief in what has been an extremely difficult time in their lives," said Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in a statement.
The LAPD said they have received more than 630 leads from law enforcement and the community. More than 300 billboards with the suspects' faces have been posted across Southern California.
Bryan Stow's sister, Bonnie Stow, said it's been a long seven weeks since the attack, but the family never gave up hope.
"I know LAPD has numerous detectives on all those tips. All we needed was one, so no, we didn't lose hope," she said. "I can't even tell you the emotions we're feeling right now. To be excited is the least I can say. We don't even know what we're feeling."
Rewards totaling more than $200,000 have been offered for information leading to the suspects' arrests.
Ramirez is expected to be arraigned Tuesday.
Anyone with information about the suspects is urged to call (877) LAPD-24-7.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
