Hate Crimes Suspect Arrested for Vandalism at Gay-Oriented Long Beach Sites

A Rancho Palos Verdes man has been charged with felony hate crimes for allegedly vandalizing Ripples nightclub in Belmont Shore and The Center serving Long Beach's gay and lesbian population, police said Friday. The suspect also was charged with a hate crime for a similar Redondo Beach incident the same day two months ago.

Olivier Rodrich Saintvictor, 22, was booked into Los Angeles County jail early Friday with bail set at $145,000 and records with jail operator L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. indicate that he was released Friday night. The felony complaint, filed Feb. 8 by the L.A. County District Attorney's Office, references a Dec. 13 felony case for assault with a deadly weapon that is not a gun.

On Dec. 17, 2010, Long Beach police responded to an 8 p.m. call in the 2000 block of East 4th Street that a man had stepped out of a white Toyota Prius and threw something through the window, smashing it. The man, described as black, six-feet-tall and about 200 pounds, with long dreadlocks, then walked away from what turned out to be The Center, a non-profit that supports the city's gay and lesbian population. He was driving away in the Prius.

Two miles away and 15 minutes later, a similar window smashing occurred at a business in the 5100 block of East  Ocean Boulevard, police said. Ripples gay and lesbian bar is the only gay-oriented business, located at 5101, in the largely residential area of oceanfront Belmont Shore.

The suspect matched the same description as that in the early incident.

Detectives in the Violent Crimes Detail quickly saw that the vandalism occurred at gay-frequented establishments, and investigated the cases as hate crimes, which are filed when a specific group is the target. A third incident on the same night, with a similarly described suspect had occurred in Redondo Beach (police did not offer any description of that location beyond it being gay-oriented0.

Saintvictor was charged ten days before he was apprehended, Long Beach police said. The criminal complaint, filed February 8 with the Torrance District Attorney’s office, charges felony vandalism with a special allegation for the hate crime.  No information was released about Saintvictor other than that he was arrested in Long Beach Tuesday, Feb. 15.

The criminal complaint offers no details about the assault with a deadly weapon case, other than a Feb. 13 date. 

Detectives suspect there may be additional victims and urged anyone with additional information to call Long Beach Police Department Violent Crimes Detective Jackie Bezart at (562) 570-7250.