A man accused of hitting a 75-year-old man in the head with an electric scooter in downtown Los Angeles pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges.
Janai Washington, who is homeless, is charged with one count each of assault with a deadly weapon and elder or dependent adult abuse.
The charges include allegations that the 41-year-old defendant used a deadly and dangerous weapon, and inflicted great bodily injury on an elderly and vulnerable victim.
Washington allegedly approached Jose Cancel, who was sitting in a chair at Sixth and Spring streets on June 13, and threw an electric scooter at the senior, hitting him in the head. The defendant allegedly threw the e-scooter at the victim a second time while he was on the ground, further injuring him.
A bystander intervened and the assailant fled, authorities said. Washington was later identified by police and arrested last Wednesday.
He has remained behind bars since then in lieu of $125,000 bail and is due back at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse July 10, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.
Washington faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison if convicted as charged, according to prosecutors.