Man Gets Life Sentence for Bus Stabbing

Gerald Pitts allegedly shouted racial slurs before the attack.

August 6, 2026 · Santa Monica

A Santa Monica man was sentenced Thursday to life plus seven years in state prison, with the possibility of parole, for the [attempted murder of a stranger aboard a Metro bus](https://smdp.com/news/crime/santa-monica-man-given-life-sentence-for-bus-stabbing/) in 2023.

A jury convicted Gerald Pitts, 67, of attempted murder in June, finding the attack was premeditated and racially motivated, making it a hate crime.

Prosecutors say the attack occurred around 9 p.m. on March 25, 2023, when Santos Tejas Gonzalez boarded a Metro bus and attempted to walk past Pitts to his seat. Pitts immediately began shouting racial slurs at him.

When Gonzalez tried to exit at the next stop, at Western Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, Pitts stabbed him multiple times in the abdomen, arm, hand and face.

As Gonzalez fell from the bus, prosecutors say, Pitts repeatedly kicked him in the head while continuing to yell slurs.

Gonzalez survived despite life-threatening injuries. In a statement, the District Attorney's Office said hate crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities, and that the office would continue prosecuting them aggressively. Video of the attack has been posted online by the DA's office.