Timeline: The case against Giovanni Ramirez unravels
Los Angeles police said they had a strong case when they arrested Giovanni Ramirez in the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow at the Dodgers’ home opener. But over the last two months, detectives struggled to close the case as doubts emerged about his involvement in the beating. Here’s a timeline:
May 22: On Sunday morning, SWAT officers arrest Ramirez at an East Hollywood apartment complex. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says at a news conference that afternoon: “I believe we have the right guy. I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you, I certainly wouldn’t be booking him later on tonight. You know this is a case that needs much more work, but we have some significant, significant pieces to it that leads me to believe that we do indeed have the right individual.”
May 24: Los Angeles County prosecutors determine that more investigation is needed before charges can be filed.
May 25: A lawyer representing Ramirez’s 10-year-old daughter says at least eight people, including the daughter, can corroborate the suspect’s alibi — that he was at an East Hollywood apartment the entire day of the attack.
May 26: Beck reaffirms Ramirez is the primary suspect. “We continue down that road in our preparation of presenting a case to the district attorney in the near future,” he says. Asked whether he remained as confident that police had the correct man, Beck says: “Absolutely. ... I am as sure as you need to be to make an arrest and pursue a prosecution.”
June 3: A parole commissioner rules that Ramirez can be held for allegedly violating his parole but says insufficient evidence was presented that he committed the Stow attack. The LAPD says it chose not to present information. Anthony Brooklier, Ramirez’s attorney, says he is seeking a hotel video recording that could exonerate his client.
June 8: The investigation is reassigned from Northeast Division detectives to the elite Robbery-Homicide Division. The department states “as the demands of the case become more complex and prolonged, RHD detectives will be better equipped to conduct the investigation. Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley hails the change, adding: “The information we’ve received to date has been very, very limited.” Beck defends the Northeast Division’s handling of the case, saying it is not unusual for detectives to wait to present all of their evidence until they are ready to seek formal charges.
June 12: Beck again expresses confidence that police have the right man. “Everyone mistakes an abundance of caution for a lack of evidence,” he says. “There is no rush — outside of the media crush — to move quickly on this. Why wouldn’t we take the time we have to pursue every avenue?” Beck says. “I am still confident we have the right guy.” However, he acknowledges that the case against Ramirez so far is based “hugely” on eyewitness identifications and that such cases can be difficult to prosecute.
June 20: Ramirez is sent back state prison to serve 10 months for violating his parole because he had access to a gun that had been placed in a laundry basket at the residence where he was staying.
July 21: Two men are arrested in connection with the beating of Bryan Stow and a woman is taken into custody as an alleged accessory to the crime. A source tells The Times that detectives no longer believe Ramirez was involved in the Stow beating. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa defends the LAPD, saying detectives have done the best they could in a “difficult” case.
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