Suspect Arrested in Brutal Beating of 83-year-old Man in Santa Ana

Screen capture from the surveillance footage of the Friday morning assault released to the public by Santa Ana police. (Photo credit: KTLA)
Screen capture from the surveillance footage of the Friday morning assault released to the public by Santa Ana police. (Photo credit: KTLA)

Earlier in the week, police released surveillance video of the brutal beating of an elderly man in Santa Ana, California just minutes after 6am on Friday. Police hoped that the footage would help the public aid police in locating the suspect.

KTLA reports that 83-year-old Tuyen Nguyen was out for his morning walk to purchase coffee and a newspaper when he became the victim of the unprovoked assault. Surveillance video shows a man — described as in his late 40’s or early 50’s — punching Nguyen without warning, and then kicking him several times, before picking up some items from the ground and fleeing the scene. Nguyen is in hospital in critical but stable condition with a brain hemorrhage and a broken eye socket.

29-year-old Demarrea Barnes, in his booking photo. (Photo credit: Santa Ana Police Department)
29-year-old Demarrea Barnes, in his booking photo. (Photo credit: Santa Ana Police Department)

Nguyen’s daughter, Julie Nguyen, told KTLA:

“He’s in a lot of pain right now, physically,” she said Friday. “And for us it’s a mental anguish, mental pain. It’s a lot.”

Yesterday, police announced that 29-year-old Demarrea Chante Brown was arrested in the assault, and charged with at least two counts of assault. Brown is described as “transient”, and no additional details about him or with regard to alleged motive have been released to the public.

Anyone with any additional details about the attack are urged to call the Santa Ana Police department at 714-493-9135.

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