SANTA MONICA, CA — A Santa Monica man was sentenced Thursday to life plus seven years in state prison with the possibility of parole for repeatedly stabbing a stranger during what prosecutors described as a brutal, unprovoked hate crime aboard a Los Angeles Metro bus.
A jury convicted Gerald Pitts, 67, on June 16 of the attempted murder of Santos Tejas Gonzalez. Jurors also found the attack was committed willfully, deliberately and with premeditation, and determined Pitts personally used a knife, inflicted great bodily injury and targeted the victim because of his actual or perceived nationality, race or ethnicity, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
The attack occurred about 9 p.m. on March 25, 2023, after Gonzalez boarded a Metro bus and attempted to walk past Pitts to take a seat, prosecutors said.
According to the District Attorney's Office, Pitts immediately began shouting racial slurs. When Gonzalez tried to leave the bus at the next stop, at Western Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, to avoid the confrontation, Pitts stabbed him multiple times in the abdomen, arm, hand and face.
As Gonzalez fell from the bus, Pitts continued the attack, repeatedly kicking him in the head while continuing to yell racial slurs, prosecutors said. Gonzalez survived despite suffering life-threatening injuries.
"A hate crime is more than just a criminal act against one person, it tears at the fibers that hold our community together," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
"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. 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's Office said combating hate crimes remains a priority through aggressive prosecution, community outreach and collaboration with law enforcement and community organizations. Prosecutors continue to encourage victims and witnesses to report hate crimes so offenders can be held accountable.
Metro surveillance video of the attack was released by the District Attorney's Office.
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