Prosecutors have filed murder charges against a man accused of carrying out a brutal attack that left an elderly man dead in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Lavonta Wilder, 40, has been charged with murder along with a special allegation tied to a prior serious felony conviction. If convicted, he could face a life sentence in prison.
Authorities say the victim, Bang Cho, 84, was attacked around noon on Sunday along Sixth Street between Hope Street and Grand Avenue. Investigators allege that after a brief encounter, Wilder assaulted Cho, repeatedly striking and kicking him before lifting him and throwing him to the ground.
Prosecutors further allege that the suspect then set the victim on fire following the assault.
Police arrested Wilder the next day near the scene of the incident. Officials said Cho, who had been living with dementia, had wandered away from a nearby care facility and appeared disoriented at the time of the attack. He later died at a hospital from his injuries.
Nathan Hochman described the alleged crime as “brutal, callous and extreme,” emphasizing that prosecutors intend to pursue the case aggressively to seek justice for the victim and his family.
The case remains under active prosecution as authorities continue legal proceedings.