Update: Police confirm they're looking into the cell-phone-recorded confrontation.

As Santa Cruz paramedic Bryan Stow slowly recovers in a NorCal hospital (good news: The Giants fan has improved from “critical” to “serious” since transferring from L.A. last month), traces of his violent side continue to surface.

Of course, it goes without saying that no over-involved fan, no matter how rowdy, deserves the horrific, near-death beatdown that Stow received on Opening Day in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. But a video recently sent to TMZ suggests a territorial tiff could have started much earlier in the evening — and not between Stow and top LAPD suspect Giovanni Ramirez.

The SWAT arrest of East L.A. resident Giovanni Ramirez in May was highly publicized as a heroic takedown. Justice has been served, declared a full house of city officials, for an innocent Giants fan in the wrong place at the wrong time. But in the weeks that followed, the LAPD's case against Ramirez — a longshot from the beginning — slowly disintegrated.

Ramirez was suspected of the attack because his parole officer noticed he covered his neck with a bunch of new tattoos during the massive LAPD search for Stow's assailants, and because he bears a striking resemblance to one of two composite portraits that an artist based on witness descriptions. One witness then fingered Ramirez in a lineup. No other evidence has been presented publicly by detectives.

Meanwhile, Ramirez' daughter has come forward as an alibi — she says she was with her father at the time of the attack. And his mom attests he could care less about baseball or the Dodgers.

As the Informer's Dennis Romero previously reported, Stow has a history of drug use and violence, albeit 20 years back. His family has admitted he “was not perfect” — but that doesn't change the fact that the Opening Day attack was, by all witness accounts, unprovoked. Stow's attackers allegedly pounced from behind.

We've contacted detectives to get their take on the new developments; check back for updates.

[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]

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