CA - David Oakleaf, 74, beaten to death in Walmart, Lakewood, 1 Nov 2011

[SuziQ]

-- Walmart shoppers and employees watched in horror as a 74-year-old man was beaten to death with a baseball bat inside the store Tuesday in what police say was an unprovoked attack.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were called to the store, on Carson Street, just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

More:
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-lakewood-walmart-beating,0,1683724.story

 

[heartfortruth]

Everyday , new craziness! My heart aches for this world.
I would have guessed that the perpetrator knew the victim. Will be interested to know if it turns out to be "a random act of violence" as being reported.
Poor man never had a chance and how terrible for those who witnessed such deadly, exploding brutality.

 

[JoeFromLB]

I live just a couple miles from the store, and have shopped there a few times. Reports are that the killer was a transient who asked the victim for money and wasn't happy with the response. He apparently grabbed a bat (the crime took place in the sporting goods dept.) and beat the man's head in before horrified customers.

This is a nice area of Lakewood and borders Long Beach. I have noticed more homeless people, men AND women, wandering the streets recently. Two days ago I saw a black man, apparently homeless and/or mentally ill, near this location yelling to no one in particular as he walked down the street. I wonder if this was the same man. There are reports the suspect is a black man.

 

[heartfortruth]

I live just a couple miles from the store, and have shopped there a few times. Reports are that the killer was a transient who asked the victim for money and wasn't happy with the response. He apparently grabbed a bat (the crime took place in the sporting goods dept.) and beat the man's head in before horrified customers.

This is a nice area of Lakewood and borders Long Beach. I have noticed more homeless people, men AND women, wandering the streets recently. Two days ago I saw a black man, apparently homeless and/or mentally ill, near this location yelling to no one in particular as he walked down the street. I wonder if this was the same man. There are reports the suspect is a black man.

OMG......too sad.
I had a man follow me around a W/M onetime (5-6 years ago) who finally came up to me and asked me for money. He had a "sad story" but had that "significant odor". I gave him 5$ and told him that I thought I knew what he would spend it on but that I hoped he wouldn't and would try and get real help.

Maybe " a soft answer turned away wrath"....that time....

 

[JoeFromLB]

The suspect is found fit to stand trial, and his preliminary hearing is set for January 16, 2013.

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/c...found-fit-trial-lakewood-walmart-baseball-bat

 

[JoeFromLB]

Something nudged me to check on this case, and...nothing. Not a word anywhere after 2013. The alleged killer is not in the state inmate locator, and I cannot find out the disposition of the case. I shop at this Walmart more frequently now and will remember the victim as I enter the store.
Rest in Peace, David Oakleaf...
His family was devastated by this horrible crime.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Okay, I did find an article from 2017. Hearing postponed as the court is examining his mental competency. Nothing after that. So.... I'm thinking he may have been judged unfit for trial and committed to the state mental hospital. I don't know at this point what eventually happened.
Hearing postponed in Lakewood Walmart beating death