Overview
- Javier Gomez, who pleaded guilty Monday, admitted assault with a deadly weapon and acknowledged special allegations for a hate crime, gang ties, and great bodily injury.
- Prosecutors say Gomez and a juvenile cornered a Black man in Thousand Oaks on Dec. 31, 2024, hurled racial slurs, and struck his head with a baseball bat twice.
- The victim suffered months of cognitive and vision problems, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
- Gomez faces sentencing on May 26, and prosecutors say they expect a five-year term in state prison while the juvenile accomplice has already been sentenced in juvenile court.
- District Attorney Erik Nasarenko praised the victim and his wife for testifying and said the community will not tolerate hate-fueled violence or gang-related intimidation.