A second homeless man attacked in Ventura near the beach has many questioning the dangers of living on the streets.
Sunday night just before 8, Ventura police responded to reports of a stabbing outside a city parking garage beside the Crown Plaza Hotel on California Street.
Authorities found a 46-year-old homeless man with what appeared to be a head wound from a bat and multiple stab wounds to his back.
"He had been in the parking structure and had an encounter with five other subjects who asked if he had a lighter," said Cmdr. Darin Schindler, of the Ventura Police Department.
Detectives believe the attackers to be between 16 and 19 years old.
As the victim tried to run away, one of the boys hit him in the head with a bat while another repeatedly stabbed him, police said.
The homeless man, known by locals as Woody, escaped through a stairwell before collapsing on the promenade. Police believe the attackers ran away and hope witnesses will come forward.
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"Maybe people were walking along the promenade, going to and from the hotel, maybe they saw a car load of kids walking up to the structure, maybe they saw them running away afterward," Schindler said, pointing out the busy night after the Super Bowl.
The attack comes just two weeks after another homeless man was attacked along Seaward Avenue on Jan. 17.
In that case a man was set on fire in Pierpont with injuries so severe, police have not been able to interview him about what happened.
Initial indications, though, show no link between the two attacks.
"The fight versus good and evil's here," said Rory Galbraith, adding he knew Woody. "We have to fight this every day and if you're weak in any way, shape or form, you're gonna get bit by the dark side."
It's a common feeling among Ventura's homeless with a fear police say is warranted because of the lack of information in the latest attack.
"It's random," Schindler said. "But whether you're homeless or not, you should feel safe to walk and be in the community without being attacked by a thug like this."
Jason Holder said he rode his bike by the parking structure shortly after the attack and saw the man's body lying on the concrete.
"I thought he jumped," he said. "When I found out it was Woody, I was just like, 'man, that sucks.'"
Holder said he used to do framing work with the victim.
"He was a very, very honest guy that just kept to himself," he said. "He had his friends ... but he's not one to cause problems. To be attacked like that, we're all scratching our heads."
Galbraith said life on the streets in Ventura is hard enough without having to worry about being attacked.
He blames the city for the lack of services for those in need. Local church leaders planned to speak out at the Ventura City Council meeting Monday night.
While many condemn the acts of the five attackers, others, such as Holder, share their pity.
"I feel sorry for them because one way or another the law's gonna get 'em or the streets will get them," he said.
