By Redacción
Redaccion@latinocc.com
A Thousand Oaks man has been sentenced to five years in state prison for carrying out a violent, racially motivated attack on an African American man, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced.
Javier Gomez, 20, was sentenced on May 26 after previously pleading guilty on April 27 to one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon. As part of his plea, Gomez admitted to multiple aggravating factors and special allegations, including gang involvement, committing a hate crime, and inflicting great bodily injury on the victim.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crime Gangs Unit.
“This brutal, racially motivated attack was fueled by hate and carried out with shocking violence,” Moyer said in a statement. “Ventura County prosecutors will not tolerate gang-related violence or crimes targeting individuals because of their race. This sentence holds the defendant accountable and reflects the serious harm inflicted on the victim and our community.”
According to prosecutors, the attack occurred on Dec. 31, 2024, in Thousand Oaks when Gomez, a documented gang member, and a juvenile accomplice confronted an African American man as he walked toward his parked vehicle.
Authorities said the pair yelled racial slurs at the victim and identified themselves as members of a gang before cornering him. Gomez was armed with a baseball bat and struck the victim in the forehead during the confrontation.
Investigators said Gomez then handed the bat to the juvenile, who struck the victim in the head a second time.
The victim’s girlfriend immediately called 911, prompting a response from deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene and arrested Gomez and the juvenile suspect.
Prosecutors emphasized that the victim had no known gang affiliation and was targeted because of his race.
The assault left the victim with significant injuries that affected his daily life for months after the attack. Court records indicate that he experienced cognitive difficulties and vision problems as a result of the beating.
Authorities described the attack as both gang-related and racially motivated, leading prosecutors to pursue enhanced penalties under California’s hate crime laws.
Hate crime enhancements are intended to increase accountability for criminal acts committed against individuals because of their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, or other protected characteristics.
Ventura County officials have repeatedly stated that hate crimes and gang violence remain priorities for local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors due to their impact on public safety and community trust.
District Attorney Nasarenko’s office said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and sends a message that racially motivated violence will not be tolerated in Ventura County.
The juvenile involved in the assault was prosecuted separately through the juvenile justice system. According to prosecutors, the minor admitted the charges and has already been sentenced in juvenile court.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about gang-related activity and hate crimes throughout California, where authorities continue to investigate incidents involving bias-motivated violence and organized criminal groups.
Law enforcement officials encourage community members to report hate crimes and hate-related incidents, emphasizing that early reporting can help prevent further violence and assist investigators in holding offenders accountable.
For the victim and his family, the sentencing brings a measure of closure after a violent attack that prosecutors say was motivated by racial hatred and carried out with deliberate brutality.
