Overview
- The murder charge, announced Thursday, sets arraignment for May 21 and bail at about $2.05 million.
- Prosecutors say 84-year-old Bang Cho had wandered from a convalescent home, was disoriented, and died Monday at a hospital after the attack.
- Authorities allege Lavonta Martel Wilder punched and kicked Cho, lifted and slammed him to the ground, then set him on fire on a downtown sidewalk.
- Wilder, 40, who is unhoused, was arrested near the scene, faces a special allegation of a prior serious felony, and could receive a life sentence if convicted.
- The DA’s Arson and Explosives Section is handling the case as LAPD continues to gather evidence, a probe likely to fuel debate over elder care and street safety in central Los Angeles.