Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman provided information about multiple hate crimes cases, including a violent attack on a Metro bus. (photo courtesy of YouTube)

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman outlined a series of hate crime cases on Aug. 6 that his office is prosecuting, including the conviction of a defendant who violently attacked a man on a Metro bus.

Joined by law enforcement leaders and advocates for victims at a press conference at the Hall of Justice downtown, Hochman vowed to vigorously prosecute anyone suspected of committing a hate crime and warned that consequences will be severe.

“Hate crimes have been one of the priorities of my administration since the first day I was sworn in,” Hochman said. “The reason that hate criminal prosecutions are so important is that when we look at a society, particularly a society as diverse as Los Angeles County, it is built brick by brick, individual by individual, community by community. That edifice, the house that we all live in, is a house that is built on two things: trust and respect. What hate criminals want to do is remove each one of those bricks, either one at a time or altogether, and destroy the house, bring down the house of trust and respect. And whether they do it with their words, whether they do it with a spray can, whether they do it with a knife or a gun, the hate crimes are designed to destroy the house that we all built, live in and prosper in. That is not going to happen.”

Hochman outlined a case against Gerald Pitts, a 67-year-old man who attacked a Latino bus rider in March 2023. Pitts was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2026, to life plus seven years in state prison with the possibility of parole for the violent attack, which was captured on security camera.

“Gerald Pitts attacked a complete stranger because of his race or perceived race, repeatedly stabbed him and kept attacking him even after the victim fell from the bus,” Hochman said. “We’re grateful the victim survived and relieved that he is continuing to recover. This kind of violence is exactly what hate crime laws are meant to address.”

The district attorney said hate crimes, which involve violence and attacks, differ from hate incidents, which he said involve speech that while hateful or prejudicial, fall under First Amendment protections.

“Our First Amendment protects, good, bad or indifferent, people saying what they want to say, no matter how vile it is, as long as it is not coupled with a criminal act, which then will make it a hate crime,” Hochman said. “However, when those First Amendment otherwise protected statements are coupled with criminal actions … whether it is assault, criminal threats, attempted murder, and it is driven in whole or in part by hatred to a protected group, that is where the D.A.’s office, that is where law enforcement can come in to bring criminal prosecutions against hate criminals.”

Hochman cited multiple additional cases involving the hate crimes, including a case against Bruce Alfred Lion, 64, of Pacific Palisades, who is charged with three felony hate crimes including one count of violation of civil rights and two counts of criminal threats. Lion allegedly stood on the balcony of his home on June 5 and shouted antisemitic threats at his neighbor, a rabbi who was leading a prayer service at the time. Lion is scheduled to undergo a mental health competency hearing on Aug. 21. If he is found competent to stand trial, he faces up to seven years and four months in state prison.

Hochman said prosecutors in his office routinely fight against mental health diversion for violent offenders, and cited the case of Job Uriah Taylor, 28, of Santa Monica, who is charged with one count of attempted murder, three felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon. Taylor is accused of striking three people with a metal pipe within a one hour-period on March 23, 2023. One of the victims, a 64-year-old man, sustained severe life-altering injuries. Taylor also allegedly attacked a homeless man who is Black in an encampment near the Fifth Street Expo Line station, yelling racial slurs after striking the man multiple times with a pipe.

A trial court granted mental health diversion for Thompson and the District Attorney’s Office appealed the ruling with the California Court of Appeal, which overturned the initial decision and ruled that Thompson must stand trial.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell joined Hochman, stating that the LAPD will investigate and arrest anyone suspected of committing a hate crime.

“These are not isolated cases of violence. They are deliberate attacks fueled by bias and hate. They are an assault on the values that hold together this city,” McDonnell said. “The Los Angeles Police Department treats every hate crime allegation with the gravity it deserves. Detectives pursue these cases aggressively and thoroughly. We work closely with the District Attorney’s Office to identify suspects, build strong cases and hold offenders accountable. When someone commits a hate crime, they aren’t just violating an individual. They are attacking an entire community, and that will not be tolerated in Los Angeles.”

Authorities urged anyone who is a victim of hate violence to call 911. For information on resources, call 211 for the county’s LA vs. Hate program, and (833)866-4283 for the state California vs. Hate hotline.