Opinion ID: 1425642
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Richard Sulita

Text: On Friday, May 23, 1980, Richard Sulita flew to Los Angeles from his home in Chicago. He arrived at 10 p.m. and took a cab to West Hollywood, hoping to find a friend who had recently moved there. Sulita, who was homosexual, asked the cab driver if he knew of any gay bars in the area. The driver did not know, but took him to a coffee shop that gay men were known to patronize. Sulita ultimately obtained a gay publication in which he found the name and address of a bathhouse in the area. He decided to go there, and set out on foot along Santa Monica Boulevard. He had walked only a short distance when a car pulled up beside him. The car was a dark, smaller, fastback two-seater, low to the ground, with louvers over the rear window, a sunroof, recessed headlights, wire wheels, bucket seats, and a stereo component mounted under the dashboard. [5] The driver, a Black man, offered Sulita a ride; Sulita accepted and got in the car. The man told Sulita his name was Robert. As they drove, the man asked Sulita if he wanted to go home with him. Sulita said no. He offered Sulita $20 to go home with him, but Sulita again declined. The man then turned onto a side street, stopped, and asked Sulita to squeeze his penis. Sulita refused, and the man said he was not going to give Sulita a ride; Sulita left the car and resumed walking. About five minutes later, again on Santa Monica Boulevard, the same car pulled up alongside Sulita. The driver apologized for his behavior and offered Sulita a ride; Sulita accepted and got back in the car. After a few minutes, the man again turned onto a side street and stopped. He asked if Sulita would like to smoke some marijuana with him; Sulita declined. Sulita said he would walk the rest of the way to the bathhouse, and the man said he would walk with him. Sulita got out of the car. He leaned over to lock the door, and as he stood up he was struck on the back of his head. He turned around and saw the driver coming at him again, swinging what appeared to be a piece of pipe. [6] Sulita blocked the blow with his arm, fell to the ground, and after kicking his attacker and screaming for help, managed to get up and run away. As he did, he heard the man yell, You damn faggot. Sulita reached Melrose Avenue, where he flagged down a passing police car and reported the crime. He then took a cab to the hospital, where he received five to seven stitches in the back of his head. Sulita returned to Chicago a few days later and had no further contact with police until March 1981. At that time Detective Michael Thies, one of the investigators reviewing criminal reports following defendant's arrest, called to ask Sulita about the incident. As a result of that conversation, Thies flew to Chicago to speak with Sulita. He showed Sulita a group of six photographs, including one of defendant. Sulita selected defendant's photograph as similar to the man who had attacked him. In May 1981 Sulita attended a live lineup in Los Angeles. Again he picked out defendant, although stating defendant's facial hair now appeared different. At trial Sulita testified there were great similarities between defendant and his attacker, although he could not positively identify defendant as his assailant.