While Bryan Stow has yet to be responsive other than minor movements and occasionally opening his eyes, Los Angeles celebrated when a suspect in the beating case had been apprehended.
The suspect, Giovanni Ramirez, is an ex-con whose arrest was being credited to a tip from a parole officer. Ramirez was cuffed and taken in for questioning over the weekend after the SWAT team surrounded his apartment in Hollywood.
Later, the two-time offender was booked on an assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Because of the emotional nature of the public reaction many wanted to close the book on the bust and declare him guilty. However, one person who didn’t identified himself as the suspect’s cousin and called an ESPN radio affiliate in L.A.
The man pleaded his cousin’s case on the air and pointed out circumstantial facts that he believed demonstrated innocence. He wasn’t at Dodger Stadium that night said the cousin. When he wasn’t countering arguments by the radio hosts, he was accusing the authorities of framing Ramirez, based on an artist’s sketch that in truth didn’t distinguish him from many young Latino men in L.A.
“He has a past but he’s not a person who would beat up a fan like that. He wouldn’t beat up a Giants fan…he’s not a baseball fanatic or a Dodgers fanatic.”
The cousin also said: “He’s not a member of a gang that I know of. He was always calm, very respectful. Cops try to frame you.”
Rebutting that claim, authorities have called the suspect a known gang member.
A two-time offender, Ramirez is in jeopardy of being incarcerated without parole after three-strikes if he is found guilty.
In the meantime, the cousin he hasn’t spoken to Ramirez since his arrest and with bail set at $1 million it doesn’t appear the Ramirez family will be seeing him on the streets any time soon.
Used with permission of the author.
Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.
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