Ramon Escobar, 47, who was believed to be homeless himself, likely targeted his victims to rob them, Los Angeles police Capt. Hayes called Escobar a “violent predator” and said investigators believe he drove to California from Houston and attacked the men in Los Angeles and Santa Monica beginning Sept. 8, Hayes said. Two homeless men sleeping on the beach were bludgeoned in the head early on Sept. 8 and Sept. 10, leaving one in critical condition, officials said. Another man who apparently was sleeping on the beach was found dead under the Santa Monica Pier on Sept. 20. ——Associated Press writers Robert Jablon and John Antczak in Los Angeles, David Warren in Dallas and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.

Source: National Post September 25, 2018 14:55 UTC