Authorities investigating LA shooting and crash that injured dozens ask for tips to find gunman
LOS ANGELES AP Police inspecting a crash outside a Los Angeles nightclub that injured at least people questioned for help Monday to find the man they suspect of shooting the driver A van rammed into a crowd of people outside the Vermont Hollywood venue early Saturday along a busy boulevard in East Hollywood leading bystanders to attack the driver executives mentioned The driver was later discovered to have been shot in the lower back according to police Los Angeles police circulated surveillance photos Monday from cameras near the crash showing a man with a goatee wearing a blue Dodgers jacket and a light blue jersey with the number Administrators are asking for help in identifying him The driver was identified Sunday as -year-old Fernando Ramirez He is expected to face a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon A phone number for Ramirez could not be exposed in an online database search and the constituents defender s office has not responded to requests for comment on whether one of its attorneys is representing him The Vermont Hollywood nightclub was hosting a reggae hip-hop event Friday night according to its calendar People were leaving at the end of the event when the car crashed into them the venue explained online We are deeply saddened by the tragic circumstance that occurred early Saturday morning outside our venue the Vermont Hollywood club revealed We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure the person responsible for this horrific act is held fully accountable Ramirez s car came to a stop after colliding with several food carts which became lodged underneath the bicycle police reported Injuries ranged from minor pain to serious fractures and lacerations and several people were briefly trapped beneath the wagon police declared Ramirez has a criminal history that includes an aggravated battery conviction for a attack on a Black man who worked at a Whole Foods grocery store in Laguna Beach California He was also convicted of a civil rights misdemeanor and race-based hate crime after expressing to police that he hated Black people That was later overturned in after a California appeals court detected he made that announcement after invoking his Fifth Amendment rights Ramirez has proved to be violent to strangers and family alike and clearly has a lack of concern for the safety of others Orange County prosecutors declared in a court filing at the time He also pleaded guilty in to battery and a gang-related charge and in to domestic violence records show A drunken driving matter and domestic violence charge were pending at the time of the nightclub crash according to records Associated Press reporter Ed White contributed from Detroit Source
