A vigil will be held this Thursday evening for a homeless Long Beach man named Todd, who was the victim of a random and brutal attack in the early morning hours of August 2 as he slept on the beach in Belmont Shore. Todd was well known in the community and those who knew him have said that he was working to achieve stability in his life. He was hospitalized in critical condition after the random attack – several assailants were involved but no arrests have been made.
The ceremony will begin at 7:00pm, where community members will walk from the Granada Launch Ramp – where the attack occurred – to Todd’s favorite coffeehouse, the Starbucks on 2nd Street between Park and Roycroft. The procession will lead back to the launch ramp, where the vigil will be held at 8:15pm. Pastor Wayne Chaney of the Antioch Baptist Church is expected to officiate the ceremony.
Several community organizations will show support for the vigil, which aims to bring attention to the issue of violence against the homeless and curb misconceptions about Long Beach’s homeless population, many of whom are mentally ill and in need of assistance. Groups that have endorsed Thursday’s vigil include the California Conference for Equality and Justice, St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach Community Action Partnership, and the Long Beach Health and Human Services Department.