WeHo heart bouncer arrested for brutally beating celebrity hairstylist in West Hollywood

An arrest has been made following the brutal beating of celebrity hairdresser Albert Vasquez. According to a release from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, a Heart WeHo security guard was identified, arrested and charged with battery causing serious bodily injury.

The LASD statement reads:

On Friday, April 5, 2024, at approximately 10:40 p.m., the victim attempted to enter a nightclub in West Hollywood. The suspect, who worked as a security guard, did not allow the victim to enter because the victim did not have proper identification. The suspect and victim engaged in a verbal and physical altercation, during which the suspect punched the victim once in the face. The victim fell to the ground and was transported to a nearby hospital.

The suspect was identified and arrested for assault causing serious bodily injury.
Anyone with questions or information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Lombera of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's West Hollywood Station at (310).
358-4028.

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Mr. Vasquez's sister, Gloria Jimenez, tells WEHO TIMES that a detective from the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station contacted the family earlier today and can confirm that the beating took place in front of Heart WeHo. She also said one of their bouncers was arrested. The family will be allowed to view surveillance footage to see exactly what happened on the night of Friday, April 5, 2024, when Mr. Vasquez was found in a pool of blood with two fractures to his head, bruising to his lungs, a black eye, and scratches and bruises to his arms and legs.

“They contacted me and told me an arrest had been made,” Ms. Jimenez said. “We kept saying it was Heart WeHo and it happened at Heart WeHo and it was one of their bouncers. We want to see the pictures, and we'll be able to see them because we're a family, so we can figure out exactly where to go from there. We are pleased that an arrest has been made and we will take the next necessary step. We don't know what this step is. He is still recovering. We don't know how long his recovery will take. We do not know.

Albert Vasquez's family, friends and supporters have continued to publicize the story and pressure the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station to step up the investigation. They also demanded that Heart WeHo release video footage from that night.

Heart WeHo complied and released the following statement:

Heart WeHo remains deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community. We are aware of the incident that occurred on April 5th and have been actively working with the West Hollywood Sheriff's Department to assist them in their investigation from the beginning. We have provided authorities with unrestricted access to our security footage, the Heart WeHo statement said. We urge anyone with additional information regarding this incident to come forward and assist the West Hollywood Department in its efforts to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhood.

According to authorities, Heart WeHo was asked not to release the images to her family until authorities were able to first investigate the images.

Jimenez points out that Heart WeHo turned over surveillance footage to the West Hollywood sheriff's station on Monday, ten days after the incident.

Doctors discovered a second skull fracture on the other side of Mr. Vasquez's head ten days after he arrived at the hospital, according to his family. They also discovered that her lungs were bruised afterward, which went unnoticed throughout her hospital stay.

However, despite his newly discovered injuries, Albert appears to be on the mend. He was in a coma for a day when he was taken to the hospital, but is currently awake and appears aware of his surroundings. He begins therapy this week and is expected to remain in the hospital for another week and a half. He hasn't spoken about what happened to him that Friday night, mainly because he is heavily medicated and the nurses feel it is too early to pressure him into reliving the trauma.

Ms. Jimenez thanks the community for its support and for its relentless determination to hold investigators accountable and demand answers. She is also grateful for the public's generosity in helping her cover medical costs.

The link to the gofundme campaign is below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/58sc3t-albert-needs-our-help?qid=a3251f085a93501899de6c4ca52593bd

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