Montebello bus attack: Suspect in custody, victim speaks out following terrifying assault
MONTEBELLO, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect who sucker punched a 50-year-old Montebello man in an apparent random attack at a bus stop was identified Friday thanks to help from the community after video of the attack was released, police say.
"He actually hit me on the back of my neck and that's when I lost the conscious. Because I kept moving, trying to get up, he preceded to start kicking me on my head. A concussion and internal bleeding," said the victim, Julio, who declined to provide his last name.
The assault happened March 12 while the victim, who was wearing headphones at the time, exited the Montebello Bus Lines bus near 4th Street and Whittier Boulevard.
Montebello police released two videos of the brutal beating in hopes that someone would recognize the man responsible. The department said Friday night that the suspect, 32-year-old Vincent Eric Ramirez, was already in custody. Police did not provide information on the arrest or charges that Ramirez is facing.
Before the identification of the suspect was announced, Julio said he was still on edge. It takes him two hours each way to commute from his Montebello home to work in West Los Angeles. But since the attack, Julio said he has avoided riding the bus.
"I was thinking, is this a good person or a bad person? Is this the one who did the crime to me or not? So it's horrible being on the bus under this circumstance," he said.
Courtney Hamilton, who works with Julio and also commutes by bus, said following the attack, Julio missed a week and a half of work. Then, he came into work badly beaten, with a visible lump on his head.
"If he could do something like this to him, then he needs to be off the streets. Julio is one of the nicest people, nicest guy in the world. He wouldn't say a bad thing about anybody, so for this to happen to him, it's just horrible," said Hamilton.
