Culver City resident Justin Finizza,who allegedly went on a bizarre spree in and around two bars on South Sepulveda Boulevard late on the night of St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, July 29.
Mr. Finizza, whose actions were captured on video, is charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He is represented by a public defender.
Police say the suspect stabbed a man walking down a sidewalk, who later recovered. In turn, the defendant was run down moments afterward by the victim’s sister, said police, who added that she was attempting to corner or capture Mr. Finizza. The woman was not charged.
After one of the suspect’s early court appearances, two relatives of Mr. Finizza, who insisted on remaining anonymous, lauded the young man as a noble person who especially behaved heroically in the last years of his mother’s left before she died this past spring.
That story brought a sharp response from a person who claimed to have intimate knowledge of Mr. Finizza’s life.
“Your article about Justin Finizza is disgusting,” the person said. “He never
showed up to his job at the Ritz Carlton.
“He once stabbed a child. You made him sound like a hero when he is nothing more than a
‘sicko.’
“He has been in jail for the majority of his life. Most of those were either violent or drug related. He has already beat three strikes twice. There are so many things that are wrong with him. He should get 25-to-life. I am appalled that you published such an article depicting a sociopath as an accomplished person.”
Later, the same relative issued a second statement, arguably more startling than the first one.
“I do not want to bash Justin,” he stated, “even though I think it is warranted.
“I would like to say that he has beaten the three strikes law twice due to one fault or another of the justice system. He has been violent his whole life.
“He is one of those people that you hope never gets out of jail, but he repeatedly does. I have kind of lost count, but I think he has been arrested somewhere in the 22 times range.
“Most have been drug related or assault with a deadly weapon. He should not get to beat three strikes again. He has done many other things for which he never got caught.
“I have documents that state Justin Finizza is a danger to society.
“He was one of the reasons another state looked so appealing. If you could get the word out on how our “great” legal system has kept people like him from hurting innocent people like the one he just stabbed.
“He has done it so many times before, and he will continue. His first time was when he was 10 and another child was much younger.
“He was throwing rigged steak knives at a target just above the child’s toy chest outside. He said he would throw the knife if the child didn’t move. He threw the knife. It struck the child in the neck.
“I could tell you so many more things. It isn’t worth it. I just think that he has, is, and always will be violent. If you write anything, please do not use my actual name. Thank you for your time.”
The man said he feared for his safety.
