Riverside security guard badly beaten after asking man to leave, police say

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- A security guard in Riverside ended up hospitalized after he was badly beaten when he asked a homeless man to leave, according to police.

It happened Thursday night in the parking lot of a shopping center on La Sierra Avenue.

"We just have a security guard who is out there protecting the property, protecting the customers on the property, and asking someone, who apparently has been a problem, to leave," said Ofc. Ryan Railsback with the Riverside Police Department.

The suspect, who was identified as 28-year-old Emmanuel Erim, is a local transient, according to police, and has since been arrested. He's now facing a felony battery charge.

READ ALSO | Man brutally stabbed more than 10 times while walking to store in Chinatown, family says

The victim's brother said when police arrived, the victim managed to pin down the suspect, despite being severely injured.

"He does have a criminal history, especially over the last five or six years, with a variety of crimes, including assault against police officers," said Railsback.

The city of Riverside has outreach programs along with other services for the homeless. Erim reportedly refused the city's help.

"There are just people out there that don't want that for a variety of reasons," said Railsback. "That could be because of mental illness. That could be just because they prefer the lifestyle of being on the streets."

Meanwhile, the attack on the security guard did not come as a surprise to residents. Jack Logova told Eyewitness News he doesn't let his female relatives come to the laundromat in the area alone.

"We usually come together, the guys, because there are a lot of homeless around here," he said.

Erim is due in court on Tuesday, April 5, and has another court date the following week on previous charges of theft and assault on a peace officer.