The county district attorney’s office announced that two Arroyo Grande residents have been sentenced for violently attacking a homeless man.
The DA’s office said the crime occurred at about 1:30 in the morning as the victim slept in a park under an outdoor picnic area in Arroyo Grande on March 20, 2026. The two young men, 21-year-old Boaz Winslow Birgham and 18-year-old Malachy Damien Hayes, walked together to Elm Street Park, and approached the victim, Douglas Mark. The DA’s office says Hayes approached Mr. Mark as he slept, stood over him, and proceeded to urinate on him. Mr. Mark struggled to his feet, and Hayes then began punching him in the head and face. Birgham then joined the attack.
Mr. Mark managed to record the incident on his cell phone, and the two men could be heard laughing, egging each other on, and celebrating as they walked away from the attack.
The two defendants will serve a year in county jail, and be on formal probation for four years.
