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LAPD Unusually Quiet About Stow Beating Suspects' Arrest, Ramirez's Exoneration
The Los Angeles Police Department have not officially confirmed the Thursday arrests of two suspects in the Bryan Stow beating case, nor the clearing of Giovanni Ramirez, the man the LAPD insisted was the perp. The news broke yesterday evening and was first reported by the L.A. Times, though details of the arrests, and the suspects' identities have not been released by the LAPD.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has already spoken out in defense of the LAPD and how they handled the case and the arrest of Ramirez. Villaraigosa told reporters Thursday night that "the Stow case was highly difficult to prove and that detectives were doing the best with the information they had," according to L.A. Now.
However, it could be that the sketches are what led the LAPD astray and in the direction of Ramirez, proposes TMZ:
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the sketches the LAPD used to try and catch the perpetrator in the brutal beating of Bryan Stow outside Dodger Stadium do not match the two suspects who are currently in custody ... and it may be a big reason why cops focused on the wrong guy.
Villaraigosa acknowledges that the beating did not have enough eyewitnesses who were willing to come forward with identifying details.
In June, as Ramirez remained held only on a parole violation, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck suggested that one possible outcome of their extensive investigation could find Ramirez exonerated, noting that their detectives were pursuing every viable lead and working diligently to bring the right individuals to justice.
In the meantime, the LAPD have yet to make any formal announcement about the new arrests, maintaining what some believe is an atypical silence.