A security guard at a Hollywood pharmacy has been charged with murder in the killing of a suspected shoplifter, the District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Donald Vincent Ciota, 28, of Covina, is also facing multiple gun allegations in the alleged murder of 21-year-old Jonathan Hart. Ciota, who is being held on $3 million bail, appeared in a downtown courtroom Monday morning with his defense attorney Mark Geragos, but did not enter a plea. His arraignment was postponed to Thursday.
Investigators say Ciota confronted Hart inside the Walgreens pharmacy on Sunset and Vine on Dec. 2 and the two men began fighting. Ciota then pulled out his firearm and allegedly shot Hart in the back of his neck as he ran away, according to prosecutors and a coroner’s report.
A witness told CBS2 that Hart was carrying something as he walked near the door to use the ATM. The witness said he knew Hart, who he believed to be homeless and suffering from mental illness.
If convicted as charged, Ciota faces a possible maximum sentence of 50 years to life in prison, according to prosecutors.
An attorney for Hart’s family alleged that he was targeted because he was black and gay and questioned why Walgreens only has armed security guards at four stores in the Los Angeles area.
“Each of these stores are in the black, brown and homeless and LGBT communities, and we want to know why,” attorney Carl Douglas said at a Dec. 11 news conference.
Walgreens issued a statement in response saying the company has “extended our deepest and most sincere condolences” to Hart’s family, and noted that as a result of the shooting, “we immediately terminated the security company.”
“We are committed to providing a safe environment for our employees, patients and customers in the communities we serve,” according to the company. “We contract for armed and unarmed security, as well as video surveillance, in our stores based on the public safety needs of each location. We operate in thousands of communities and neighborhoods across the nation and the suggestion that we would inappropriately serve any community is simply false. We firmly believe everyone should be welcomed and treated equally in all of our stores.”
Douglas insisted that Hart, also known as Sky Young, was not shoplifting. He said Hart and another black man were in the store, and at one point while inside the store, one of them picked up a $2.99 water flavoring product. The guard confronted the men and got into an argument with Hart, the attorney said.
“The guard feels the man pushed him one time,” Douglas said. “The guard pushes the man back one time. The guard watches as the man turns to run toward the back door. The guard raises his gun and points at the man. The guard says, `Freeze,’ as the man travels toward the door. The guard fires one shot, striking the man in the back of the neck. The guard watches as the man crumbles to the ground.”
Hart died at a hospital. Douglas said the only thing in Hart’s hands when he died was a California ID card.
“Jonathan was not shoplifting,” he said. “Let me repeat that. Jonathan was not shoplifting when he was shot. That’s the propaganda Walgreens wants you to report.”
He added: “I dare say, Jonathan Hart was profiled because he was homeless. He was harassed because he was gay, and he was shot because he was black.”
Douglas said he planned to file a lawsuit against Walgreens seeking $525 million in damages and has scheduled a news conference at his Ladera Heights office Monday afternoon to respond to the murder charge.