LAPD Chief Charlie Beck alongside Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Ed Reyes and Dodgers Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Howard Sunkin addressed the apprehension this morning of a suspect in the brutal beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow.
"I believe we have the right guy, Beck told reporters. "I wouldn't be standing here in front of you. I certainly wouldn't be booking him later on tonight. This is a case that needs much more work. But we have some significant pieces to it that lead me to believe that we do indeed have the right individual."
According to Beck, the arrest stemmed from a tip his department received from a parole agent. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the chief declined to go into further detail about the suspect and what led to the arrest. However, the LA Times was able to disclose some specifics through information received from a source within the LAPD:
Police were tipped off to the man's possible involvement by his parole agent, law enforcement sources said. The police source said the suspect had attended a meeting with his parole agent shortly after the attack, and the agent noticed that the suspect resembled a police sketch of one of the assailants.
The Times also said that the agent noticed the apprehended individual had added several new tattoos on his neck recently, leading to suspicion that he was trying to cover an older one. Beck believes that the person in custody is the primary aggressor from the beating that happened on March 31st.
The identity of the suspected attacker will be released later this evening following booking at the LAPD Rampart Division.