A racist knifeman caught on newly released video repeatedly stabbing a stranger aboard a Los Angeles Metro bus, then kicking him in the head after he collapsed, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison. Gerald Pitts, 67, of Santa Monica, was sentenced for the attempted murder of Santos Tejas Gonzalez during what prosecutors described as a brutal, unprovoked hate crime on March 25, 2023. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office released the never-before-seen footage Thursday, showing the shocking attack that nearly killed Gonzalez. According to prosecutors, Gonzalez boarded a Metro bus at about 9 p.m. and tried to walk past Pitts to take a seat when Pitts immediately began shouting racial slurs. Rather than confront him, Gonzalez tried to leave the bus at the next stop at Western Avenue and Exposition Boulevard. Even after Gonzalez fell from the bus, the attack continued. Prosecutors said Pitts repeatedly kicked the wounded man in the head while continuing to yell racial slurs. Gonzalez survived despite suffering life-threatening injuries. “A hate crime is more than just a criminal act against one person, it tears at the fibers that hold our community together,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together.” A jury convicted Pitts on June 16 of attempted murder.