Transient sentenced to six years for attacking gay men

A 30-year-old transient pleaded guilty Tuesday to attacking a gay man at random in Palm Springs, and was immediately sentenced to six years in prison.

Joshua Wade Johnson pleaded guilty to a felony count of elder abuse, and admitted sentence-enhancing allegations of committing a hate crime and causing great bodily injury, court records show.

Under the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop three other felony charges, including two counts of assault likely to produce great bodily injury and use of force causing injury. Two of those charges stemmed from a second attempted attack, which was foiled by the alleged victim.

On Oct. 6, Johnson was found mentally competent to stand trial, following a mental health evaluation. But during a Nov. 27 hearing at the Larson Justice Center, a judge referred the defendant for consideration in the county’s mental health court program.

That placement was denied earlier this month after officials determined he did not meet the criteria for the program. Had he been accepted, Johnson would have pleaded guilty, been placed on
probation and ordered to attend specific mental court treatment with regular court reviews. It was not clear why he was not accepted.

Johnson has remained in custody in lieu of $200,000 bail since his arrest on June 25, when he was held for police by one of two alleged victims and a witness, according to Palm Springs police Lt. Mike Kovaleff.

The first attack occurred about 4:45 p.m. June 20 in the 1800 block of North Palm Canyon Drive. Officers spoke with the 71-year-old victim and several witnesses, who said the suspect approached the man as he walked out of a business and asked him about his sexual orientation, Kovaleff said.

When the victim responded that he was gay, the man punched and kicked him repeatedly, then ran away, Kovaleff said. The victim, whose name was not released, sought medical treatment on his
own for an injury suffered in the attack, Kovaleff said.

Investigators identified Johnson as the suspect but did not know his whereabouts.

About 4:30 p.m. on June 25, police were sent to investigate a report of a fight in progress in the 63000 block of 20th Avenue. Johnson allegedly walked up to a 22-year-old man outside of a business and asked him for spare change, Kovaleff said. When the man declined to give him money, Johnson allegedly made a derogatory remark and asked the victim about his sexual orientation.

The man said he was gay, and Johnson allegedly tried to attack the man, but the punches largely missed their mark, police said. That victim and a bystander held Johnson down until police arrived, Kovaleff said.