Black man receives sentence after stabbing stranger in face on bus, yelling racial slurs at victim

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the sentence against Gerald Pitts was intended to show that law enforcement officials take racially motivated violence seriously.

Santos Tejas Gonzalez was trying to get around Pitts on a Los Angeles Metro Bus in March 2023 when Pitts yelled racial slurs at Gonzalez.

‘Gerald Pitts attacked a complete stranger because of his race or perceived race, repeatedly stabbed him, and kept attacking him even after the victim fell from the bus.’

When Gonzalez tried to get off the bus at the next stop to avoid further confrontation, Pitts stabbed him in the face and kicked him in the head after the victim fell off the bus.

At one point before Gonzalez fell to the ground outside the bus, the knife can be seen protruding from his face in a graphic bus surveillance video the district attorney’s office released.

The victim also was stabbed numerous times in the abdomen, arm, and hand.

Pitts was arrested and charged with attempted murder along with additional crimes, including a hate crime designation. In June, a jury found the 67-year-old guilty, and on Thursday Pitts was sentenced to life in state prison plus another seven years.

“A hate crime is more than just a criminal act against one person; it tears at the fibers that hold our community together,” L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.

“These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together. Gerald Pitts attacked a complete stranger because of his race or perceived race, repeatedly stabbed him, and kept attacking him even after the victim fell from the bus,” Hochman added. “We’re grateful the victim survived and relieved that he is continuing to recover. This kind of violence is exactly what hate crime laws are meant to address.”

The district attorney did not mention Pitts’ race in his press release, and news outlets also neglected to mention it. However, Pitts’ booking record listed him as a black man.

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Hochman tied the attack on Gonzalez to other hate crimes committed in L.A. County, including one on a transgender shopkeeper.

“This office will not tolerate hate incidents and crimes in our communities and will respond with the full force of the law,” Hochman added.

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