On March 3, 2023, the life of Christian Hornburg changed forever. He was the last of three victims that were attacked in broad daylight by one individual in less than an hour. However, unlike the previous two victims who escaped with less severe injuries, the suspect had somehow acquired a metal pipe and the result was that Hornburg was beaten to within an inch of his life.
Hornburg (64), who is homeless, was just emerging from his tent that had been set up next to the 5th Street Expo station when the suspect, Job Uriah Taylor (27), attacked him from behind, while yelling racial slurs.
The next time Hornburg was conscious, he was in hospital. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Press, Hornburg shares his thoughts and feelings about the incident and life afterwards.
“I didn’t even see him. I didn’t know what happened,” he says.
“I was coming out of a tent near the train station. It had rained and my kit was getting wet, so I dried it out. Once everything was dry, I put it away, stepped outside and boom – that’s it. Didn’t see the guy. He just walked up behind me, hit me in the head, started kicking me. That was it,” Hornburg says.
“I only found out what happened a few weeks ago. I have no memory of it. They have video, but they won’t show it to me. They said, ‘Oh, you’ll see it in court. We don’t want to cloud your testimony.’ I said, ‘Cloud what? I didn’t see anything.’ They showed me 20 seconds of me lying on the ground, bloody, with someone asking out of frame, ‘Are you okay?’ That’s all I know.”
For the moment at least Hornburg now resides in a care facility on the outskirts of Santa Monica near Sawtelle. He has difficulty walking and has to rely on a wheelchair almost all of the time. He says that he still aches and quickly feels dizzy when he stands up. He’s also having to rely on a diaper to go to the bathroom.
“I can take a couple of steps, but then I need to hold on to something. I’m losing strength in my legs from not walking,” he says and while thankfully his cognitive abilities remain intact, he can’t do anything that he used to. “Just sleep, eat, wake up, take pills. That’s about it,” he says.
A little over a week ago, Taylor was placed in a diversion program instead of facing a criminal trial that could have resulted in a life sentence. Charged with attempted murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, Taylor’s case included a hate crime enhancement, as he was heard shouting racial slurs during the attacks. However, his defense argued that his history of mental illness – including bipolar and schizoaffective disorder – combined with drug abuse, made him a suitable candidate for the Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR) program.
The ODR program provides housing and treatment for homeless individuals with serious mental health disorders instead of incarceration. Judge Lana S. Kim approved Taylor’s enrollment, despite concerns from Deputy District Attorney Steve Dickman, who questioned the program’s ability to monitor Taylor effectively. ODR had lost track of hundreds of participants in 2024 alone.
During court proceedings, Dickman argued that Taylor’s mental health could deteriorate if he left the program or stopped taking his medication.
“It was obvious she was going to let him go to the program like she had every other person I’d seen in that court. Every time, she gives them another chance. There’s no regard for him hitting a total stranger in the head and ruining my life,” Hornburg says.
“They say, ‘Oh, he’s schizophrenic.’ Well, was he schizophrenic before he took the drugs? He made a choice. Why is there no responsibility? He caused this, and now he’s just sorry? Why wasn’t he sorry when he hit me in the head?”
Ultimately, Judge Kim imposed stricter conditions, requiring immediate notification if Taylor violates the program. However, if Taylor successfully completes the two-year program, his case will be dismissed and he will go free. Dickman condemned the decision, calling it the worst he had seen in 30 years, while Hornburg lamented that justice had not been served.
“Yeah, I’m pretty upset. Took me six months to find out roughly what happened. Two years, I’ve been going to court, and they haven’t even addressed what happened to me. I thought that was the whole point. I’ve been waiting two years. It’s attempted murder. If people hadn’t pulled him off me, I’d be dead,” Hornburg says.
Meanwhile, to pass the time Hornburg says he sleeps a lot and watches TV. There are two other patients in his room, with little more than a curtain to provide privacy and he says that no one here really talks to each other.
“The food?! Don’t even go there. It’s like, made out of food at one point, but by the time it gets to you…not very good,” he says. “I’ll be here another two years waiting. Even if he ends up back in court, it won’t do anything for me.”
With assistance from officers from the Santa Monica Police Department, Hornburg will receive a new California ID card and is now in touch with the District Attorney’s Victim’s Assistance office to offer service for improved housing and transportation service. Taylor will return to court on April 21 for a progress check.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
