A California man randomly punched two elderly victims in separate attacks, and casually posed for a picture following one of the incidents, authorities said.
Nicholas Hosteter, 25, was arrested by the Campbell Police Department on Saturday morning after investigators linked him to an unprovoked attack on Friday, and a previous one on May 4.
In the first attack, Hosteter allegedly punched someone on San Tomas Aquino Road before posing for a photo the victim took of him before he fled the scene, police said.
A video the suspect recorded shows the suspect nonchalantly smiling at the camera with his hands in his pockets.
He punched man in stomach on San Tomas Aquino Road, took off – and then paused for this photo before continuing to run away, per @CampbellPolice, seeking his ID pic.twitter.com/S3ndxjMZo4
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) May 17, 2024
Police released the image on social media in hopes of identifying the suspect, but they didn’t track him down until he allegedly attacked again.
A 75-year-old man was taking a walk near Inwood Drive and Elam Avenue when Hosteter allegedly punched him in the face, CPD said.
The victim left and returned to the area with family members, whom Hosteter “attempted to fight before leaving,” according to a press release.
Officers “immediately” began searching for the suspect and contacted his parents the next morning.
“With their assistance, Hosteter exited his residence and was arrested without further incident,” CPD announced.
While being booked into Santa Clara County Jail on two counts of elder abuse, Hosteter earned an extra charge of battery on an officer for allegedly kicking one.
“We cannot thank our community enough for their partnership in incidents like these. We can assure you that our officers are working diligently to investigate these incidents to the full extent,” police said.
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