A man convicted in a violent stabbing attack aboard a Los Angeles Metro bus has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, plus an additional seven years. Prosecutors say Gerald Pitts targeted a stranger during the March 2023 assault in what they described as a racially motivated hate crime. According to evidence presented at trial, Pitts began yelling racial slurs at the victim after he boarded the bus and searched for an open seat. Pitts then repeatedly stabbed the victim in the face, hand, arm and abdomen before continuing to beat him. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries but survived the attack after receiving emergency medical treatment. A jury convicted Pitts of attempted murder and found hate crime allegations to be true. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the unprovoked attack and the lasting physical and emotional trauma suffered by the victim, who continues recovering from his extensive injuries.
