An Oxnard man has been sentenced for a hate crime battery, as announced today by District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, adding a layer of accountability to a city striving for justice and equality. Convicted individual Teddy Poster Boyd, with a birth date listed as June 20, 1976, was handed down a sentence of two years and eight months in state prison following a guilty plea, which he entered on June 6, 2025, on multiple charges including battery, vandalism, and violation of civil rights, besides possession of a controlled substance.
The incident that landed Boyd behind bars took place on July 29, 2024, near the Oxnard City Library where he engaged in violence against another man due to what he perceived to be the victim's sexual orientation, Boyd knocked down his victim and proceeded to kick and punch the man he delivered homophobic slurs; the attack prompted two witnesses to intervene, which resulted in Boyd fleeing the scene, the details of which were corroborated by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Subsequent to the attack, the Oxnard Police Department swiftly apprehended Boyd not far from the crime scene, where they found him in possession of methamphetamine.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer, a member of the District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case, emphasizing the seriousness of hate crimes in the community. "Boyd senselessly battered an individual belonging to one of the community's most vulnerable populations, simply because Boyd did not like victim's perceived sexual orientation," Ms. Moyer said; she highlighted that the recipient of the attack was targeted based on a fundamental aspect of their identity, her statement reflects a broader societal conversation about the repercussion of hate-fueled violence.
Boyd’s sentence not only entails prison time, but it also includes a mandate to complete 50 hours of community service, which is a requirement for a hate crime conviction and to pay restitution amounting to $150 for the victim's damaged phone because it's what justice in this case seems to look like—a reflection of the impact such bigotry-fueled actions have on human lives, on community cohesion, and the moral fabric that holds us together as described by the District Attorney's Office in their accountability measures.
