On Thursday morning, Anthony Alexander Padgett was taken into police custody. Padgett, from El Cajon, is suspected to have committed four attacks against the homeless that left two men dead, and two in critical condition.
Two of the homeless, 53-year-old Angelo De Nardo, and 41-year-old Shawn Longley are believed to have been assaulted in their sleep. They are both deceased. Longley’s body was set on fire after he was beaten to death.
The attacks also put 61-year-old Manuel Mason, and a 23-year-old not yet identified male, in critical condition. The 23-year-old was found with a flaming towel over his face.
Padgett was booked on charges of arson, two counts of attempted murder, and two counts of murder.
Padgett committed a similar crime previously. In 2o10, he attacked one of his own friends. At the time, both men were homeless. Padgett set his friend on fire while he slept. The victim suffered from burns over 30 percent of his body, but survived.
Padgett was convicted of assault and mayhem for that attack, and sentenced to four years behind bars.
During the violence, police and outreach groups worked hard to warn the homeless and told them to sleep in groups, as well as in well lit areas.
Now, the homeless can sleep a little easier with Padgett behind bars.
San Diegans must learn about what they can do to combat stigma, discrimination, and hate directed towards the homeless. Those lessons start with what not to do.
Homeless Are Vulnerable
All four of the homeless men attacked by Padgett are believed to have been assaulted in their sleep.
As Mayor Kevin Faulconer said:
“These crimes are being committed against some of our city’s most vulnerable people.”
In a 2014 report, the National Coalition Against for the Homeless (NCH) reported,
In 2013, “An astonishing 30 percent of the attacks took place in California.”
Do Not Stereotype The Homeless
The homeless are a diverse group of people. The circumstances behind their lack of housing can not be generalized.
San Diego is a city that has some residents who openly discriminate against the homeless. They replace the word homeless with “transient”, “traveler”, or “troll”.
Under this guise, the San Diego Reader published an article presenting the homeless as a problem for tourism dollars and community members. The article headline states that “Aggressive Transients put Ocean Beach on Edge.”
The article was published two days after Angelo De Nardo, and Shawn Longley were murdered, but before Padgett was in custody.
Under this same guise, the Neighborhood Crime Watch Ocean Beach distributed flyers that perpetuate stigma about the homeless to local cafes.
The flyer reads:
“…we ask that you help us with the ever growing problem of ‘travelers,’ the alcoholics and drug addicts that live on our streets by choice and subsequently wreak havoc on our much loved community.”
Under this guise, heated debates have taken place on community Facebook pages calling the homeless “trolls.”
“A troll is simply a terrible neighbor who happens to be homeless and feel entitled to things from others … A troll preys upon your decency.”
It’s OK to condemn a behavior such as panhandling or harassment. It’s never alright to state that one group is consistently responsible for that behavior without objective research or hard evidence.
Do Not Scapegoat The Homeless
If a crime has no witnesses, having a personal suspicion about what happened can be appropriate, but accusing the homeless for said crime is not. Doing so stigmatizes the homelessness. It conflates homelessness with criminality.
Crime is wrong. Homelessness is not wrong, not criminally, anyway. In fact, the homeless are more likely to be victims of violent crimes then the general population is.
According to a 2010 survey designed and administered by the National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB),
Be Solution Oriented
Hillcrest is a San Diego neighborhood that’s compassionate and its organization is apparent. Their signs don’t stigmatize the homeless. Instead, the signs show compassion, and the Hillcrest Business Association offers solutions.
The first step in being solution oriented is identifying a problem. Community members in Ocean Beach have often complained about public urination and defecation.
I took a quick stroll down the three blocks that make up the main strip of Ocean Beach’s Newport Avenue. I counted 14 “No public restroom” and “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” signs.
This is a gorgeous beach neighborhood where a swim suit is acceptable attire, and you can bring your dog to the bar.
One solution might be to install additional public restrooms. Think not, what is the inconvenience to me. Think, what is a solution that can help everyone.
Screenshot via YouTube Video And Pudgett Facebook Page