In April, a brutal murder took place in Ventura. A man was eating dinner with his family at a restaurant along the city’s promenade when a homeless man approached the table and stabbed him with a knife. The fatal attack sparked a conversation about how to address people on the street who may be a threat to themselves and others. Following that stabbing, KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian spent time in Ventura speaking with police, mental health professionals, and outreach workers about how to prevent something like this from happening again.
A senseless stabbing in Ventura angers citizens, sparks action on homelessness
Ventura residents protest in April after the stabbing of Anthony Mele, demanding the city do more to address homelessness. One sign reads “Vagrant free Ventura.” Photo Credit: T. Christian Gapen/VCReporter
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Credits
Guests:
- Ken Corney - Ventura Police Department
- John Schipper - Adult division chief at the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department
- Kevin Clerici - Executive director at Downtown Ventura
- Judy Alexandre - Chair of the Ventura Social Services Task Force