Naked BART Acrobat 'Very Depressed' As He Sits In Jail Awaiting Fate
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A friend of 24-year-old naked acrobat Yeiner Perez Garizabalo described him as "very depressed" as he sits in jail after pleading not guilty earlier this week to two felony and four misdemeanor charges.
His legal troubles stem from his bizarre behavior last month that was caught on tape at San Franicsco's 16th Street Bay Area Rapid Transit Station.
Friends Of Naked BART Acrobat Support Him During Arraignment
"He does not do any drugs," said musician Ben Goldstein, a member of the non-profit ClownSnotBombs circus troupe that Garizabalo was let go from.
"I spoke to him on the phone a couple of times. He's very, very depressed," Goldstein said. "He didn't realize at first what had happened. His memory of what had happened was he was in a play and he was acting out a play at the BART station."
Goldstein believes his friend needs medical care and that last year he had an unexplained palsy incident.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said investigators are being thoughtful about prosecuting this case.
"We're not just simply going to prosecute this case in a mindless way. We're doing an investigation. We're assessing what are all the factors that are involved here," he said.
Still, Gascon said Garizabalo is clearly unsafe to himself and to others.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also considering whether to deport Garizabalo, who is scheduled to be back in court on July 18.
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