Family of beaten Giants fan grateful for arrest

[May 24, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police investigating the vicious beating of a Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium were working to build their case Tuesday against the man they suspect was the main aggressor in the attack.

Giovanni Ramirez, 31, who was arrested Sunday, is suspected of leading the March 31 attack against Bryan Stow, a 42-year-old paramedic who suffered severe injuries and remains heavily sedated in a San Francisco hospital. Another suspect, and a woman who drove the men away from the stadium, have yet to be found.

Los Angeles police said they were preparing for a line-up Wednesday to see if witnesses recognized Ramirez.

Ramirez has a violent past, according to court records. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery after he grabbed a purse from a woman boarding a bus and she was thrown to the ground.

He was sentenced to a year in jail and placed on three years of probation. An assault charge was dropped by prosecutors.

Ramirez, of Los Angeles, was being held on $1 million bail. It was not known if he had retained an attorney.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show Ramirez sometimes went by the moniker "Bug Daddy Laine." His parole photograph shows multiple tattoos on his neck, including a dollar sign and the Dodgers' "LA" logo, yet his parole agent made no note of these markings in his file.

The AP did not immediately publish the photograph because police said it could jeopardize the upcoming suspect line-up.

In 2005, Ramirez was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon. Records indicate he served about 15 months and was released on parole on Dec. 30, 2006. Two drug-related charges as well as one count of firing a weapon in public were dismissed.

Stow's family members never gave up hope that someone would be arrested, said his sister Erin Collins. They thanked the police department for its "exhaustive efforts."

A tip from a parole officer late last week gave detectives the break they'd sought for seven weeks following the attack on Stow that occurred in a stadium parking lot after the Dodgers' season opener.

Ramirez was detained in the early morning raid by detectives and SWAT team members. He had not been staying at the address recorded with the parole office and was staying with friends in East Hollywood, police Detective Jose Carillo said.

Rewards totaling $250,000 were offered for information leading to arrests.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.