Thousand Oaks man pleads guilty to beating victim with baseball bat in 2024 hate crime

A Thousand Oaks man pleaded guilty to beating another man with a baseball bat during what prosecutors called a racially-motivated attack in December 2024. 

During a court hearing on Monday, Javier Gomez, 21, of Thousands Oaks, pleaded guilty to one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and admitted to aggravating factors and charged special allegations, including "the gang allegation, hate crime allegation and causing great bodily injury," said a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. 

Prosecutors say that Gomez, a documented gang member, and another juvenile confronted a Black man while he was walking to his parked car in Thousand Oaks on Dec. 31, 2024. 

"Gomez and the juvenile yelled racial slurs, before corning the victim," the release said. "Gomez, armed with a baseball bat, struck the victim in the forehead, then handed the bat to the juvenile, who struck the victim again in the head."

Deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff's office responded to the scene after the victim's girlfriend called 911. Gomez and the juvenile, who hasn't been publicly identified due to his age, were arrested at the scene. 

Prosecutors said that the victim, who isn't associated with any gangs, suffered cognitive and vision issues for several months after the assault. 

"The victim and his wife showed tremendous courage by testifying at the preliminary hearing and confronting hate head on," said a statement from Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "Our community will not tolerate hate-fueled violence or gang-related intimidation."

Prosecutors said that after his guilty plea, Gomez is expected to be sentenced to five years in state prison. The minor was also sentenced in juvenile court, according to the DA's release.