it's a bad time to be homeless if you're looking to avoid getting your ass kicked or outright smoked.... In Cali...
Six suspects in attack on Bolinas homeless man
Thursday, July 10, 2008
(07-10) 13:34 PDT Bolinas, CA (AP) --
Two more people have been charged in the assault on a homeless Bolinas man last month.
A teenage boy and a 21-year-old woman are the latest of six suspects to be arraigned in the stabbing, kicking and beating of 33-year-old Ricky Green.
Tyrone Brendal, 17, who is being charged as an adult, was arraigned Wednesday on counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Authorities say he pummeled Green with a skateboard during the attack.
Suraya Khalil also was arraigned and is the only one of the six to not face attempted murder charges. She faces a count of assault causing great bodily injury.
Authorities say Green spent two weeks in the hospital after he was found semiconscious and bloody in some shrubbery.
Police say they believe they now have all suspects in custody.
In Chicago....
A reportedly homeless man found dead on the West Side on Wednesday was strangled, authorities said.
Frank Deblasio, 45, was found unresponsive in the 4600 block of West Harrison Street and was pronounced dead on the scene at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said.
An autopsy Thursday determined Deblasio died of strangulation and his death has been ruled a homicide, according to the medial examiner’s office.
Deblasio had no known home address and may have been homeless, sources said. Police had no information about his killing.
Harrison Area detectives are investigating and said no one was in custody as of Thursday afternoon.
In Springfield...
Another homeless man dies in Springfield, MA
Two days ago, a man was found dead near the riverfront-- almost surely a person without a home, I knew at once. This morning, I called the Springfield police and found out that his name was Wayne Martin. He was, I believe, in his late 40's or early 50's. The detective told me that his death was not being treated as a criminal matter; that he appeared to have died of natural causes. By describing Mr. Martin's death as not a criminal matter, of course the detective meant that no other person murdered him. In every other way, though, the fact that a man can die in a nearly public place because he has nowhere to go is criminal in every other sense of the word. I admit I barely remember Wayne Martin; others knew him better. I know he stayed at Sanctuary City for quite a while. He stayed at the Warming Place (when it was open) a few times at most, and probably never stayed at Worthington St. Shelter. Some people just can't hack shelters. Either they don't like rules, hate crowds, fear being robbed, can't sleep with the noise or, for those who are emotionally fragile, feel pushed to the edge and sometimes beyond. Open Pantry Community Services has an informal tally of the names of homeless people who have died. Facts about a homeless person who dies can be thin sometimes; other times, everybody has a tale about the poor dead soul. The one common truth about all of them: they died without a home. I must take this opportunity to remark upon the extraordinary dignity with which OPCS has always treated the homeless and poor people who come to them for help. They need the city's help to get through a rough patch. Give Mayor Sarno's office a call at 787-6100 and ask him to support the Open Pantry.
In Tampa....
Homeless Man Found Dead On Tampa Street
Published: July 10, 2008
TAMPA - The medical examiner is performing an autopsy on a homeless man whose body was found Wednesday at North Nebraska Avenue and East Juneau Street, Tampa police said.
Police and firefighters found the white man lying on his back at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday after someone called 911.
The man's identity has not been released because police are attempting to locate his relatives, police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor said.
The man was found near an inoperable van owned by a local pastor, McGregor said. The pastor has allowed homeless people to take refuge in the van, she said.
Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampat
In Kansas City....
Homeless man killed in KC
Homeless man dead after fightA fight between two homeless men Wednesday night ended with one of them dead, Kansas City police said.
The killing occurred on the Trolley Track Trail, just south of 83rd and Main streets.
Police Sgt. Tony Sanders said a resident in the area called police about 8:20 p.m. to report that a man had come to her house saying he had fought with another man and the other man was not breathing.
When police arrived they found the victim unconscious. An ambulance was called, and paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. The other man was taken into custody.
Sanders said investigators do not know what sparked the argument or how the man was killed, but he said there had been a report earlier of two men fighting with chains. Investigators were still at the scene late Wednesday night.
Residents of the area told police both men were homeless and had been living in the woods by the trail for quite some time.
Although police think they have the suspect in custody they asked anyone with information about the killing to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (474-8477).
In Jacksonville....
Homelessness is a fact of local life
The recent death of a man deemed "homeless" by many of those who knew him has brought to the surface a dirty little secret known only to a few - mostly law enforcement, charities and clergy.
The secret? That Eastern North Carolina and, more particularly Onslow County, has its share of individuals who are living on the edge.
While this is no surprise to organizations such as Onslow Community Ministries, which operates the soup kitchen and a shelter for the homeless, for many residents the idea that some who live in this area have no place to go at night and often do without the basic necessities is a foreign concept.
There's a good reason for that: The homeless often stay hidden.
That doesn't mean they are invisible, but that they tend to stay where they attract the least amount of attention. The upshot is most read about the homeless and poor and think "New York City" or "LA" - anywhere but here.
But the recent death of Mike Kozak, a 41-year-old man who chose to live in a wooded area off Piney Green, opened a lot of eyes as to the existence of a different culture right under their very noses.
It should be noted that Kozak, while living the life of a homeless person, did indeed have a place to live if he so chose. He had family in the area, and they were more than willing to provide him a place to stay. No one, however, can force a grown man to change his lifestyle if he's not willing to do so. Kozak, who occasionally did bunk with relatives, sometimes chose to live in the woods.
Kozak was not the only person in this county living this way. That sad fact comes as an unwelcome surprise to many residents who had no idea people like Kozak were out there.
Kozak's recent death is a horrible occurrence in our community, but perhaps it will remind usually generous Onslow County residents that there are still people with deep and abiding needs in this community.
It is to be hoped that it will also do one more thing - spur them to reach into their pockets and keep efforts like the soup kitchen and homeless shelter alive. Compassion and charity for those less fortunate - even in uncertain times - uplifts the giver as much as it keeps many or our neighbors from hitting rock bottom. While no one is expected to donate their milk money to charity, it's not a stretch to consider giving a portion of what one would normally set aside for luxury items or optional purchases to organizations like the Onslow Community Ministries, The Salvation Army, Red Cross or other charities that encounter difficulty continuing their missions without generous public support.
There is no shame in being hungry or homeless when life's circumstances change for the worse. But it is a shame if a community sits by and allows such conditions without life sustaining alternatives.
Onslow County residents, including our military population, have always proven to be some of the most energetic, generous and thoughtful people to be found in the country. Even in these tough times there is no doubt they will extend their hands to those needing to be lifted up.
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