Civic Center Battery Suspect Wanted, Identified
Los Angeles. Los Angeles detectives released a photograph of a man wanted in a spree of assaults on mostly women walking near the Los Angeles downtown civic center. The photograph was taken Thursday morning in the City Hall Mall by General Services Department officers who noticed Jermaine Vincent Moran walking in the City Hall Mall around 7:40 AM, January 19. At the time, he fit the description of a man who had assaulted four persons near in the civic center since January 3.
“Later yesterday afternoon, this man struck for the fifth time, slapping a woman in the head as she walked on the sidewalk at Main and 1st Streets,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of Central Detective Division. “This last attack confirmed the suspect’s MO and the fact that these several attacks are all by the same person and related.”
Moran’s MO is to push, punch or slap people, completely unprovoked and without warning as they walk on the sidewalks or through crosswalks in the civic center. In the initial incident, he pushed a woman from behind as she walked in the crosswalk at Main and 1st Streets. Police received the next report on January 10 at 8:30 AM when he punched a woman in the nose as she walked past him on the sidewalk at Main and 3rd Streets. The next day, he struck twice, punching a business man in the neck in the morning, then punching a woman in the stomach in the afternoon. The last two victims are women and civilian employees of LAPD.
“We’ve distributed Moran’s photo to all our officers and we have a number of them out looking for Moran now,” Lt. Vernon explained. “Clearly, he’s active in the mornings and evenings as people are coming and going to work in the civic center.”
With the exception of the 60 days of Occupy LA last year where 25 serious crimes were reported, the civic center area is generally crime free. “The cluster of attacks since January 10 showed these were not random, and probably committed by the same person.”
The LAPD accepts tips on crime. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling into Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Online tips may be placed at www.LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.
# # # # #
