A 31-year-old homeless man pleaded guilty Wednesday, and was immediately sentenced to two years in jail, for beating a fellow transient with a bicycle before attacking two police officers next to the courthouse in Santa Ana a year ago.
Gustavo Nunez Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of resisting arrest, all felonies, for the Feb. 7, 2018, attack.
About 8 that morning in the Civic Center area, Nunez repeatedly struck another man with a bicycle over what detectives suspect was a dispute about drugs, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
When officers responded, Nunez hopped on the bike and attempted to flee. When police caught up to him, he “went after two of our officers and elected to take a bite at them” before being taken into custody, Bertagna said.
The homeless victim, whose name was withheld, refused a police escort to a hospital and went there himself for treatment, Bertagna said. He said the officers also received medical aid and went back to work.
The defendant has a criminal record dating back to 2007, court records show. He pleaded guilty to carrying a dagger, a felony, and disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor, on Oct. 26, 2016, and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
He pleaded guilty to robbery on March 3, 2010, and was sentenced to two years in prison.
He pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and drug paraphernalia possession on July 10, 2007, and was ultimately sent to prison for 16 months after he violated probation three times, according to court records.