A 52-year-old man was sentenced to a nine-year prison stint for a racially fueled stabbing spree at a Carlsbad homeless shelter, said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. The assailant, Jeremy Willis, pleaded guilty to attempted murder as a hate crime after he savagely attacked Cassius Hope, a Black man, last December.
According to a news release from the district attorney's office, Willis hurled racial slurs, including the n-word, while attacking Hope. His co-defendant, Scott Williams, obstructed a Good Samaritan from intervening by keeping them from alerting shelter officials during the altercation.
Willis's vicious attack highlighted the troubling trend of race-based hate crimes in the area. "Cassus Hope was victimized in this brutal hate crimes case just because he was Black," Stephan remarked. The office's lead hate crimes prosecutor, Abigail Dillon, and her team supported Hope during the trial phase and were instrumental in securing the sentences for both defendants.
The recent sentences reflect a steadfast approach against hate crime in the community. "Hate against one group is a threat to everyone and we won't tolerate these crimes in our community," Stephan said via the DA's office press release. The accomplice, Scott Williams, was previously handed a 16-month term after copping to a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness. Together, the actions of Willis and Williams embody the sinister perpetuation of racial hatred that the San Diego community stands against.
Stepping beyond the courtroom, the district attorney's office pledged to continue offering services and support to Hope as he works to rebuild his life following the traumatic event.
