A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the beating of a popular longtime clerk at Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood, Los Angeles County detectives announced Tuesday.
The suspect has been identified as Dorian Michael Gray. He was arrested Friday and is being held without bail. Sheriff’s officials said he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, assault and assault with a deadly weapon.
Efrain Zarazua, known to customers as Frankie, was reportedly chased and knocked unconscious on September 14 outside the Santa Monica Boulevard restaurant.
Surveillance footage captured the shocking moments when a shirtless man wearing a white hat knocked Zarazua to the ground before repeatedly punching and kicking him in the head.
Zarazua, who has worked at Barney’s for more than 30 years, was in intensive care after suffering multiple injuries to his head, neck and body from the attack. Sheriff’s officials said they believed the same suspect also committed at least four other attacks in the same general area within 20 minutes that evening in West Hollywood. The injuries sustained in those attacks were not that serious.
On October 21, Zarazua’s wife, Irma Zarazua, announced the arrest of a suspect on a fundraising page and provided an update on her husband’s condition. She said he is home, but he has a long road to recovery.
“Due to his brain injury, he still has frequent moments of memory loss, and for that he needs rehabilitation and constant care 24/7,” his wife said.
“We don’t know how long he will need to recuperate before he gets back to his happy, friendly self.”
