Two Arrested in Stow Beating Case: Attorney

Giovanni Ramirez was taken into custody May 22 after a parole agent raised suspicion that he might be one of the assailants

Two people were taken into custody in connection with the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow more than two months after the arrest of a man labelled the prime suspect in the case, according to multiple sources.

On Thursday night, NBC4 spoke to Chip Matthews, who represents family members of Giovanni Ramirez, and he confirmed the two new arrests. Ramirez was labelled the prime suspect in the case after his May 22 arrest. 

"I did have a chance to speak with higher-ups tonight at the Los Angeles Police Department and confirmed that two other people have been arrested for the beating of Bryan Stow," Matthews said.

More: The Bryan Stow Investigation | Timeline: The Stow Investigation

The Los Angeles Police Department could not immediately confirm the new developments. District attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said detectives have not presented a case to her office yet.

"The Stow investigation continues. We are making good progress and as details become available we will make them public," according to Los Angeles Police Detective Gus Villanueva.  

The LA Times and Associated Press also reported two new arrests, citing law enforcement sources.

"We cannot confirm or deny" the Times report, Villanueva said.

NBC4 also learned Thursday that LAPD has surveillance video of the Dodger Stadium parking lot attack before it occurred. Sources said the video shows Stow engaged in a verbal confrontation with two men. 

Police said Ramirez fit the description of one of the suspects, but the Los Angeles District Attorney's office did not file charges. Instead, Ramirez was sent back to prison on a parole violation involving a weapons charge.

"What we did was we followed hundreds, of thousands of leads in a case  that was very difficult for us,'' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told reporters at  Costello Park in Boyle Heights Thursday night.

Ramirez attorney Anthony Brooklier said he was always confident his client had no part in the Stow attack.

Stow, a Bay Area Paramedic, was attacked in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium on the opening day of baseball this spring, ostensibly because he was wearing a Giants shirt.

Witnesses told police two men were involved and they fled in an SUV driven by a woman.
Since that time, Los Angeles police have been searching for the suspects --even going so far as endorsing a billboard campaign to try to get the public involved.

Stow suffered critical injuries in the beating and after weeks of treatment at County-USC Medical Center he was well enough to be transferred to a San Francisco hospital where just this week he underwent additional surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to increase the reward amount for information leading to arrests from $10,000 to $25,000. Other contributions included more than $100,000 from the Dodgers, $50,000 from the LA City Council and $50,000 from radio personality Tom Leykis.

Contact Us