Homeless man sentenced in downtown killing of former baseball player

A 33-year-old transient was sentenced March 23 to 16 years to life in state prison for killing a homeless former professional baseball player who was trying to share his camp in downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

Billy Morales, who is Latino, was convicted of second-degree murder in January for killing Rodney Paul Craig, 55. A jury also found true a special allegation that Morales personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.

Craig tried to make camp on the night of Aug. 17, 2013, near Wilshire Boulevard and South Hope Street, but other transients who had already claimed the area told him to go, prosecutors said. 

As Craig was leaving, prosecutors said he tried to kick a dog. Morales and another camp dweller, Anthony Johnson, chased after him and began kicking and punching him. Then Morales fatally stabbed Craig once in the chest, prosecutors said. 

Johnson, a 24-year-old black man, told investigators he didn’t realize Morales had a knife and intended to kill the victim, prosecutors said. He pleaded no contest to one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. He was sentenced in August to six years in state prison. 

Craig grew up in Carson and played in 145 big league games over four seasons. He played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. 

-- Jeanette Marantos