| For Immediate Release February 16, 2007 |
Contact: Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 |
TWO MEN FACE CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES FOR
BEATING TWO DEPENDANT ADULTS LEFT IN THEIR
CARE AT ANAHEIM CARE FACILITY
FULLERTON – Charges have been filed against two dependent adult care workers for beating two men in an Anaheim facility and recording the attacks on a cell phone camera. The District Attorney amended the complaint to charge Patrick John Dizon Solis, 22, with one felony count of the violation of civil rights during a battery and one felony count of the false imprisonment of a dependent adult. Michael Douglas Rama, 24, was also charged with two felony counts of violation of civil rights during a battery, one felony count of the false imprisonment of a dependent adult, and one misdemeanor count of dependent adult abuse. Both defendants face a sentencing enhancement for committing a hate crime in concert with others. If convicted, Solis faces a maximum of eight years and eight months in prison and Rama faces nine years and four months in prison.
Solis is scheduled to be arraigned on the amended charges today, Friday, February 16, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. in Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton. Rama is scheduled to be arraigned in the same Department at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. The People are asking for $50,000 bail.
On April 12, 2006, Solis and Rama are accused of cornering a mentally disabled adult, Chris P., in a restroom at Jossen Vocational Academy in Anaheim. They are accused of slapping Chris P. repeatedly and recording the attack on a cell phone video camera. The victim can be seen on the video shrieking and cowering in fear. On March 22, 2006, Rama is accused of participating in the abuse of another dependent adult, Alan C., at Jossen. He is accused of again recording the incident on a cell phone video camera. Laughter is audible in the background from an unidentified person.
California hate crime law prohibits the use of force or threat of force by an individual in order to intimidate, interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the U.S. Constitution or laws of California or the United States because of the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability. The defendant’s sentence may be increased to four years in state prison if the act is “substantially motivated” by the victim’s disability.
Deputy District Attorney Scott Steiner of the Felony Projects Unit is prosecuting this case.
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