Javier Gomez / Ventura County District Attorney's Office
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - A man has been sentenced to five years in state prison following a brutal, gang-related hate crime in Thousand Oaks.
What we know:
On Dec. 31, 2024, Javier Gomez, 20, a documented gang member, and a juvenile confronted an African American man who was walking to his parked car.
According to officials, the attackers yelled racial slurs, claimed their gang, and cornered the victim.
Gomez struck the victim in the forehead with a baseball bat before handing the weapon to the juvenile, who struck the victim in the head again.
The victim's girlfriend called 911, and responding Ventura County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested both Gomez and the minor.
The victim, who is not associated with any gang, suffered cognitive and vision issues for several months following the assault.
Gomez pleaded guilty on April 27 to one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and admitted to all aggravating factors and special allegations, including gang affiliation, a hate crime allegation, and causing great bodily injury.
He was sentenced on May 26.
The minor involved also admitted to charges and was sentenced in juvenile court.
What they're saying:
Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crime Gangs Unit, prosecuted the case and emphasized that hate-fueled crimes will face severe consequences.
"This brutal, racially motivated attack was fueled by hate and carried out with shocking violence," Moyer said. "Ventura County prosecutors will not tolerate gang-related violence or crimes targeting individuals because of their race. This sentence holds the defendant accountable and reflects the serious harm inflicted on the victim and our community."
The Source: This report is based on information from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.