Killers Swapped ‘High Fives’ Over Man, Police Say

Four young males appeared to celebrate their fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old homeless man by giving each other “high fives” as he lay dying on a sidewalk, Glendale police said Tuesday.

With no apparent motive for the Friday killing, police theorized that the four suspects may have beaten, kicked and stabbed John Vice to death for the fun of it.

“It looked like they were celebrating, and were getting joy out of killing this man,” Det. Dennis Smith said.

The incident began shortly before 2:30 a.m. when witnesses saw four males with close-cropped hair and dressed in gang attire surround Vice on a sidewalk in the 500 block of East Garfield Avenue, police said.

Witnesses told police that the four males battered Vice--known to friends as “Two-Beer Johnnie” because he apparently had a relatively low tolerance for alcohol--and shoved him back and forth between them.

“He was picked up once after he fell down and beaten some more,” Smith said.

After Vice dropped to the ground for the last time, the four suspects slapped hands and ran off, Smith said, and one of the witnesses flagged down a police officer passing through the mostly residential area.

Vice, who suffered bruises and multiple stab wounds, was pronounced dead a short time later.

With no suspects in custody and the investigation still underway, police said they were not certain that Vice was killed merely for the thrill of it. But so far, Sgt. Rick Young said, no evidence has emerged indicating that he was slain during a robbery or other crime.

“Generally, criminals don’t prey on the homeless [because] they have nothing to steal,” Young said.

Vice was among a dozen or so homeless or formerly homeless people who gather regularly outside the Glendale Central Library and nearby Adult Recreation Center, said Mike Baray, grounds superintendent for the two facilities.

“He was a nice, quiet guy,” said Baray, adding that he had seen Vice in the area for about the last four years. “He kept to himself. He did drink a lot, but he was well-mannered.”

Baray added that Vice “wasn’t a big troublemaker”and did not seem the type to provoke a violent confrontation.

Special correspondent Steve Ryfle contributed to this story.