Hunter Antonino, inset, is one of the self-identified Marines who said he was attacked on a Southern California pier over Memorial Day weekend. (Screenshots from KCAL-TV Los Angeles)
Five juveniles were arrested in the beating of several Marines on a Southern California pier over the Memorial Day weekend after the Marines told them to stop lighting fireworks.
Four boys and a girl, whose names and ages were not released, were arrested on Tuesday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said. They were booked into the Orange County Juvenile Hall on charges of assault with a deadly weapon (non-firearm), authorities said. A sheriff’s sergeant said the weapons used were their feet while these victims were on the ground.
Investigators used video to track down the teenagers and worked with a local school district to cross-reference the images with school records, CBS Los Angeles reported.
“In today’s age, you’re going to get caught — people are going to record it,” San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan told the station. “I hope this serves as a learning lesson for young folks in the community not to let themselves get out of control when something like this happens.”
The case came to light after a video showed a group of up to 30 teens and young adults beating several Marines on Friday night.
It happened at the San Clemente Pier, authorities said. The Marines were treated for minor injuries to their hands, knees, abdomens and heads and refused to go to a hospital, officials said.
Hunter Antonino, one of the self-identified Marines who was attacked, told CBS Los Angeles the crowd was setting off fireworks. When debris hit him in the face, he asked the group to move on, the station reported.
“They were lighting off fireworks, they were being belligerent, they were being obnoxious and annoying other people, so I went up to them and told them to stop,” he told the station.
A teen swung at the back of the victim’s head. When the Marine turned and charged at his attacker, the crowd was set off, he told the station.
The Marines can be seen in the video on the ground, trying to protect themselves as the group punches and kicks them.
It ended when a man and a woman told the group to stop, the station reported.