Homeless Man Critical Following Beating

A 43-year-old homeless man was in critical condition Friday after being beaten in a Reseda alley by two other transients with whom he had been drinking, Los Angeles police said.

Earl Hamsher, who frequents the Reseda area, was treated for head wounds at Holy Cross Medical Center after the incident, which occurred about 12:45 a.m. in the 7200 block of Etiwanda Avenue, police said.

Mark Sumner, 21, and Timothy Ruble, 20, who also had been often seen in the Reseda area, were arrested by officers who arrived at the scene during the incident, Detective Joel Price said. The two men were being held without bail at West Valley Police Station on suspicion of attempted murder, he said.

A passerby had seen the two men beating Hamsher in an alley and then alerted authorities, Price said. The trio had been drinking for several hours in the same location when an argument began and escalated into a fight, he said.