LOS ANGELES — Two new suspects were arrested Wednesday in the beating of a San Francisco Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium and the original suspect may well be exonerated, a law enforcement official said Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said that if the district attorney’s office files a case against the men, the suspect previously identified by police, Giovanni Ramirez, will be exonerated. It’s unclear what evidence prompted police to arrest the new suspects.
The arrests are a dramatic development in the case. Since Giovanni was arrested May 22, police have consistently restated they believed they had their man, while his lawyers said detectives were wrong.
One of Ramirez’s attorneys, Jose Romero, suggested the defense team unearthed important evidence in the case.
“The police played hide and seek so we did our own digging,” Romero said. “This is our golden nugget.”
Another attorney, Tony Brooklier, told KNX-AM that the arrest was a “good faith mistake, that’s all.”
Giants fan Bryan Stow was almost fatally beaten by two men outside the stadium after attending the March 31 season opener between the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
A paramedic and father of two, the 42-year-old Stow was transported from Los Angeles to San Francisco in May after being in a coma and in critical condition for months before doctors upgraded his condition to serious in June.
A prominent defense lawyer said Ramirez could have a case against the police department for false arrest. At the least, he is owed an apology, attorney Mark Geragos said.
“I don’t understand why the cops said they got their guy, they were so confident,” Geragos said. “It’s outrageous. They should have stopped shooting their mouths off and concentrated on the investigation.”
