Man accused of attacking day laborers acquitted

Teacher, workers got into scuffle in November

By Dana Littlefield
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metr ... monti.html
September 27, 2007

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO – A Los Angeles County man accused of attacking day laborers in Rancho Peñasquitos last year was acquitted yesterday of all charges.

Jurors found John Matthew Monti, 36, not guilty of several misdemeanors, including battery, filing a false police report and civil rights violations, which prosecutors described as hate crimes.
The panel deliberated for about a day and a half.

Monti, who lives in Bellflower and works as a sixth-grade teacher in a bilingual program, said outside the courtroom that he “felt goodâ€