Wild video shows the moment a group of self-identifying US Marines were brutally beaten by as many as 40 teenagers after soldiers confronted them about their unruly behavior on a California beach.
The victims said they were walking along the beach in San Clemente, California, when they were attacked by the huge crowd of teenagers around 10 p.m. Friday night.
A chilling video posted online showed two victims curled up on the ground as the crowd continued to kick them and chant profanity and racial slurs. A third Marine was also attacked but not shown in the footage.
The men suffered minor injuries and subsequently refused transport to a local hospital, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies say.
Footage showed two US Marines being attacked by a group of youths on a California beach over Memorial Day weekend
The mob stepped up against the self-proclaimed Marines on Friday night after the men confronted the teenagers about their behavior in San Clemente, California
Hunter Antonio, one of the self-proclaimed Marines, told KCAL the fight started when he told the teenagers to stop setting off firecrackers
Police are investigating the horrific attack and the unidentified teenagers could soon be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
The video, posted to Facebook and lasting about a minute, showed the Marines in civilian clothes trying to climb the steps in front of the Pier Bowl as a group of teenagers yelled at them.
As they approached the stairs, a teenage boy was seen brutally hitting one of the Marines on the back of the head.
The Marine turned and charged at the attacker, leading to an all-out brawl with all of the teen’s friends jumping in to swing and kick the Marine.
Within a second, the group circled the two Marines, yelling “Shut up!” and “Fuck that shit!”, even using the N-word at one point.
As the cameraman got closer to the scene, two of the victims were seen curled up on the ground as the group continued to brutally kick them.
The brawl only ended when two passers-by, an unidentified man and woman, intervened and yelled at the children, “Stop, what are you doing?”
It remains unclear what happened before the video, but Hunter Antonio, one of the self-proclaimed Marines, told KCAL the fight started when he asked the youths to stop lighting firecrackers.
The brawl only ended when two unidentified passersby intervened and yelled at the youths
Orange County officials said the two men suffered only minor injuries, including a hand injury, abrasions to the knees and pain in the abdomen, chest and head. They refused medical care on site
Antonio said he and his friend from the Marines enjoyed a rare break from Camp Pendleton in Oceanside during Memorial Day weekend when the crowd started setting off the fireworks.
When debris hit him in the face, Antonio said he politely asked her to leave.
“They set off firecrackers, they were aggressive and obnoxious and they annoyed other people, so I walked up to them and told them to stop,” he said.
But the group followed him back to the pier, where Antonio said he and his friend warned the teenagers that they were Marines, “so they were going, but they didn’t.”
Ultimately, the two men suffered only minor injuries, including a bruised hand, abrasions to their knees, and pain in their abdomen, chest and head, according to Orange County officials.
Up to 40 youths are believed to have been involved in the attack, but the Marines sustained only minor injuries
The brutal attack began in front of the Pier Bowl as the Marines in civilian clothes were climbing the steps
However, Antonio also fears a concussion.
“My face is still bleeding,” he said. “It wasn’t cool at all.”
No arrests have been made in the brutal attack while the Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy continue their investigation.
The suspects could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon “due to the number of suspects we are investigating,” Sheriff Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said.
“The weapons used were their feet while these victims were on the ground,” he explained.
“Regardless of whether the victims choose criminal prosecution or medical attention, the sheriff’s department will fully investigate the matter and attempt to identify the suspects.”
San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan called the Memorial Day weekend attack “tragic.”
“This is San Clemente, Marines are always welcome here, always celebrated, always taken care of, and that’s why it’s so tragic,” he said.