By Ricardo Roura
A man was charged with murder this Thursday after an elderly man who was beaten and set on fire died on the night of this Sunday, April 19, in downtown Los Angeles.
In a statement, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reported that Lavonta Martel Wilder, 40, was charged with one count of murderin addition to facing a special accusation for having a criminal record for a serious crime.
A man used to be charged at the present time with homicide in the killing of an 84-365 day-ragged man living with dementia who had wandered from a convalescent home sooner than being brutally beaten and topic on fireplace in downtown Los Angeles.
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— Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Workplace (@LADAOffice) April 23, 2026
The victim was identified as Bang Cho, an 84-year-old Korean man who suffered from dementia and escaped from a nursing home, according to prosecutors.
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“This case involves a disoriented elderly man with dementia“conditions that made him particularly vulnerable,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
The prosecution said that The attack occurred at approximately 11:55 p.m. on Sundaywhen Cho was sitting on Sixth Avenue, between Hope Avenue and Gigantic Avenue, and got up and approached a passerby.
Cho later stood behind Wilder, who is homeless, and stole one of the bags he was carrying.
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“Wilder is accused of having brutally beaten and kicked Cho in the head and bodylift him over his shoulder and throw him to the ground before setting him on fire,” the prosecution said.
The victim She was rushed to a clinic, where she died the next day. Wilder was later located on Sixth Avenue, near Hope Avenue, where he was detained.
“The level of violence reported is brutal, dreary and extremeand our prosecutors will pursue this case with the urgency it requires to guarantee accountability and justice for the victim and her loved ones,” said Hochman, who expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.
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Wilder remains in custody of the authorities with a bond of $2.05 million dollars. If convicted, the homeless man could face a sentence of life in state prison.
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