Two men suspected of beating San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow into a coma on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium have been arrested by Los Angeles police, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the LAPD no longer considers Giovanni Ramirez, who was initially tagged as the prime suspect, as responsible for the attack.
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, Ramirez would be exonerated.
The arrest marks a dramatic turn in the case. Since Ramirez was arrested May 22, police have consistently restated they believed they had their man.
The Los Angeles Times was first to report the arrest of the two new suspects.
The LAPD officer in charge of media relations wouldn’t confirm nor deny the Times report.
“The Stow investigation continues,” LAPD spokesman Andrew Neiman told ESPNLosAngeles.com’s Ramona Shelburne. “We’re making good progress. As information becomes available we’ll make that public.”
He said that Ramirez, a convicted felon, remains in custody on an unrelated parole violation after police found a gun in the house where he was staying when he was arrested. Ramirez’s lawyers contend that he was not at Dodger Stadium at the time of the attack.
“I’m happy for my client. I always believed he was factually innocent,” Ramirez attorney Anthony Brooklier told the Los Angeles Times. “There was a lot of pressure on LAPD. I believe that they were operating in good faith and made a good faith mistake.”
Police say Stow, 42, of Santa Cruz, was attacked by two men outside Dodger Stadium after attending the March 31 season opener between the Giants and archrival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stow suffered brain damage in the assault and has been in a coma ever since. He experienced a setback in his recovery earlier this week when he underwent emergency brain surgery Monday after suffering a 30-second seizure. A hospital spokesman said Wednesday that Stow remains in serious condition.
About $225,000 in rewards has been offered for information leading to arrests in the incident.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
