A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to life in prison for a brutal, unprovoked racist attack aboard a Metro bus that left a victim with life-threatening injuries. Gerald Pitts, 67, of Santa Monica, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with the possibility of parole plus seven years.
Prosecutors described the March 25, 2023, incident as a hate crime. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the victim, Santos Tejas Gonzalez, boarded a Metro bus around 9 p.m. and attempted to pass Pitts to find a seat when Pitts began shouting racial slurs.
Gonzalez attempted to de-escalate the situation and leave the bus at the next stop. However, Pitts then produced a knife and repeatedly stabbed Gonzalez in the abdomen, arm, hand, and face. Even after Gonzalez fell from the bus, prosecutors stated that Pitts continued to assault him, kicking him in the head while continuing to yell racial slurs.
Momentum shifted to the legal system when a jury convicted Pitts on June 16 of attempted murder. The jury further found that the attack was committed willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation. They also determined that Pitts personally used a knife, inflicted great bodily injury, and committed the crime based on the victim’s actual or perceived nationality, race, or ethnicity, establishing it as a hate crime.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman emphasized the impact of hate crimes, stating, "A hate crime is more than just a criminal act against one person, it tears at the fibers that hold our community together. These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together."
Hochman commended the work of Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Illions and the Los Angeles Police Department on the case. He affirmed his office's commitment to prosecuting bias-driven violence, adding, "Public safety depends not only on enforcing the law but on refusing to tolerate bias-driven violence in any form. This office will not tolerate hate incidents and crimes in our communities and will respond with the full force of the law."
Gonzalez survived the attack despite suffering severe injuries. The district attorney expressed gratitude for the victim's survival and recovery, noting, "This kind of violence is exactly what hate crime laws are meant to address."