A Thousand Oaks man faces five years in prison for a racially motivated attack with a baseball bat on an African American man in 2024.
Javier Gomez, 20, pleaded guilty to felony assault with a deadly weapon in Ventura County Superior Court on April 27 and admitted to five special allegations, including that the assault was a hate crime and was a part of violent felony street gang activity, according to a Ventura County District Attorney’s Office news release. Such allegations bring with them the possibility of increased jail time if found guilty.
Gomez was charged on Jan. 3, 2025, for the attack that took place just days before, court records show.
On Dec. 31, 2024, Gomez, a known gang member, and another youth confronted an African American man while he was walking to his parked vehicle in Thousand Oaks, the DA’s office said.
The 20-year-old reportedly began yelling racial slurs at the man before cornering him and hitting him in the forehead with a baseball bat, DA’s officials said. Gomez then handed the baseball bat to the youth, who struck the man in the head again.
Deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office responded to the attack after receiving a call from the victim’s girlfriend, officials said. The assailants were arrested, and Gomez was booked into the Ventura County jail while the minor was booked into the Juvenile Justice Center.
The victim is not associated with any gang, the DA’s office said. He reportedly suffered cognitive and vision issues for several months following the attack.
The youth admitted to charges and was sentenced in juvenile court. Gomez is scheduled to appear in court on May 26 when he is expected to be sentenced to five years in state prison, the DA’s office said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks man pleads guilty to baseball bat attack, hate crime
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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