Transient Pleads Not Guilty to Biting Off Finger of Venice Cafe Owner

A 31-year-old transient was charged today with biting off the fingertip of a Venice cafe owner.

Jonathan Shain Lemmons pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of mayhem and criminal threats stemming from the weekend attack at the Cow’s End Cafe.

Owner Clabe Hartley, 72, told reporters that the suspect said, “I’ll kill you,” when Hartley tried to stop him from harassing customers about 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Hartley said the man then came at him and initially appeared to be aiming for his eyes.

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The suspect spit out the fingertip, which could not be reattached.

Cafe patrons helped stop the attack, and Lemmons was arrested soon afterward.

He is due back in a Los Angeles courtroom April 20, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.

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• City News Service