A man believed to have beaten a woman to death with a metal baseball bat in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles is in custody following an hourslong standoff with police Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Joshua Ramos, was taken into custody in an alley about 1:30 p.m. after SWAT officers had surrounded the area near West 20th Street and South Mariposa Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Authorities responded to the scene about 8:15 a.m. and officers found the victim with “very significant blunt force trauma to the head,” police said.
She had been hit in the head with a metal baseball bat, Deputy Chief Blake Chow said. The unidentified woman was taken to a hospital but died from her injuries. She may have been homeless, police said.
Police do not have a motive in the crime, but the suspect was possibly under the influence of a narcotic and had exhibited “erratic behavior in the neighborhood,” Lt. John Radtke said.
Residents told KTLA he had been smashing car windows in the neighborhood and damaging property.
“He was a real active threat to everyone,” Radtke added.
The area was blocked off and there was large police presence at the scene during the investigation and standoff.