This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Homeless man charged with OC hate crime
SANTA ANA — A white homeless man was charged today with a hate crime after allegedly threatening a black teenager outside a drug store.
Ronald Allen Bramlett, 55, was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and criminal threats. He also faces sentencing enhancements and allegations for hate crimes, the personal use of a deadly weapon and prior convictions for a 1994 bank robbery in Oregon and a petty theft in 2001,
according to Susan Kang Schroeder, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office.
The victim and his friends were standing in front of a CVS pharmacy at 1835 Newport Blvd. when Bramlett allegedly made racial slurs, Schroeder said. Bramlett allegedly claimed to be a member of a white supremacist gang and allegedly told the teenager he didn't have a right to look at him.
Bramlett was also accused of challenging the boy to a fight while waving a knife and threatening "to cut you up, boy,'' according to Schroeder.
Bramlett faces up to 18 years and eight months in prison if convicted.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
