New police sketches of the two men suspected in the beating. (LAPD)
As Los Angeles police and the Dodgers ramped up security efforts in the wake of the beating of a Giants fan on opening day, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck provided a fuller description and new police sketches of the two men suspected in the beating.
Thursday evening's game against the St. Louis Cardinals marks the first time since the assault that police presence at the stadium will be increased and security tightened.
Beck said he hoped a fuller description of the suspects would help detectives track down the men who beat Bryan Stow in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. Stow has been in a medically induced coma since the incident two weeks ago.
"We are getting calls but I haven't heard that aha moment yet," Beck told reporters.
A new wanted poster describes the first attacker as a stocky male Latino with a shaved head, mustache and goatee and possibly neck tattoos. He is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall to 5 feet 10 inches and weighing about 170 pounds. He has a mole on the left side of his cheek.
The second suspect is a Latino or white male, 6 feet 1 inches tall with short hair and hazel eyes and possibly tattoos on his shoulder
Witnesses said a young woman and a boy who appeared to be about 10 were in the company of the assailants.
Beck, flanked by team owner Frank McCourt and Dodgers security consultant William J.Bratton, said that the large LAPD presence at Thursday game is aimed at convincing fans that the stadium is safe.
"This is about a crisis of confidence," the police chief said. "Your perception of crime is as important as the reality."
McCourt said he intended to corral any unruly behavior to reinforce his belief that Dodger Stadium is a family place. "This isn't an incident that should define the city," Beck added.
The police presence before game time was obvious. Fans in cars with expired license plates were cited, and in the right-field bleachers -- a section noted for rowdy behavior -- police officers and Dodger personnel were providing an airport-like level of security.
Some fans seemed caught off-guard by the level of law enforcement in and around the stadium
"Did you see the police on horses?" Jesus Orozco, 27, said to his young brother Luis. Orozco said the police presence was a little overwhelming and that he is more concerned about ticket prices than violence.
"It's expensive," he said.
