On March 9th, around 10:30 am, at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Boyle Heights, Jose Hernandez (74) was attacked through the window by a nearby homeless person. Hernandez got out of the car to defend himself, but was overpowered and further attacked. His wife, Maria Vargas Luna (58), who was in the car with him, got out to help her husband but fell backward due to the homeless person’s counterattack, suffering a brain injury.
Vargas Luna had a heart attack while being transported to the hospital but was revived by paramedics. Despite initial stabilization, she had another heart attack at home a week later and was in a brain-dead state by the time the paramedics arrived.
The homeless person who attacked Vargas Luna did not appear in court and is currently free. The homeless person was charged with a misdemeanor but did not appear in court and is now free.
The victim’s daughter has requested a review of the homeless person’s charges at the D.A.’s office.
This incident is part of many tragedies that occur in California as many serious crimes are reduced to misdemeanors. Is it too much to imagine that the judicial reform that George Gascon talks about is not to protect citizens but to protect criminals? Reducing serious crimes to misdemeanors is a way to prevent the production of criminals and to operate prisons efficiently. Under the D.A. who believes this, good citizens who uphold the law in safe California cannot live comfortably.
