Five individuals, including four minors, were apprehended while a sixth suspect remains at large following a string of unprovoked attacks in the City of Davis, as detailed by the Davis Police Department. According to a report from ABC10, the series of incidents began with an assault on January 4 and spanned several months, involving attacks on homeless individuals as well as a March incident injuring two non-homeless persons.
The March 29 event, which occurred near the intersection of 2nd Street and F Street in downtown Davis, saw one victim sustain severe injuries, Davis police spokesperson Lt. Dan Beckwith conveyed the effectiveness of community cooperation and video surveillance in aiding the investigation, letting ABC10 know "it really speaks to our cooperation with the community and being able to get a lot of this video surveillance and all the folks that we stop that we spoke to the night of the incident that were able to provide information that helped us investigate this case." Among those apprehended is 21-year-old Mark Anthony Benard Jr. of Dixon who was booked on numerous charges including conspiracy, battery, and assault with a deadly weapon according to CBS Sacramento; in addition, a 15-year-old has been placed in juvenile detention facing similar charges.
While four of the minors have been released on notices to appear, with charges relating to conspiracy and assault, the series of attacks is believed to have included three unreported incidents at a city parking garage on F Street and nearby locations, with homeless individuals being the primary targets. CBS Sacramento's coverage reflects that the lack of serious injuries in these assaults is no less troubling for authorities.
Emphasizing the gravity with which Davis Police Department views crimes against the vulnerable unhoused population, Beckwith remarked to ABC10, "I think it's important to know that each and every one of these crimes is important to us as a police department and the service that we give to our community. And on a deeper note... it really gives a voice, and a message, that we want to give folks a voice who might feel like they don't have one and (feel) that their their crime is less important or something like that. We take each of these cases extremely seriously." As the search for the remaining suspect, 18-year-old Jailen Marsean Samuel Lankford of Dixon continues, anyone with pertinent information is encouraged to contact the Davis Police Department.
