Two US Marines in San Clemente, CA, were assaulted by a crowd of teenagers on when on a beach in the area, according to the local police.
Speaking to KCAL-TV, one of the victims, Hunter Antonino, said that the teenagers were both acting aggressively and lighting firecrackers on the beach, so he asked them to stop. Instead of being polite and stopping, they viciously attacked him. He was hit in the head with debris and the fight between the mob and the Marines started.
As can be seen in a video of the horrific incident that emerged, two of the victims ended up in the fetal position on the ground while viciously attacked by the kicking and screaming mob. Two other men broke up the assault, rescuing the victims of the mob. The San Clemente Times, describing the assault and the injuries the Marines suffered, said:
At the start of the recording, one of the Marines is seen starting to walk up the steps and is being followed by a large group of people yelling. A seemingly young individual appears to take a swing to the back of the Marine’s head.
The two men sustained minor injuries, such as an injury to the hand, scrapes to the knees and soreness to the abdomen, chest and head areas, according to Woodroof. The names of the victims could not be shared at this time, Woodroof said.
[…]At that point, the Marine turns around and charges toward the young person, which leads to the melee as many others jump into the altercation, appearing to take swings at the Marine. The group is then recorded circling around the Marine, with some using racial slurs and curse words while encouraging others to punch and kick him.
As the person recording the incident gets closer to the center of the altercation, the Marine is seen laying on the ground next to the second victim, the fellow Marine, as the two continue to get kicked and punched by the group of reported minors.
San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan said, “Look, this is San Clemente, Marines are always welcome here, always gonna be celebrated, always be taken care of. And that’s why this is so particularly tragic.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, posting about the shocking incident on Instagram, said:
On Friday, May 26th, there was an altercation at the San Clemente Pier involving several Marines and numerous juveniles and young adults. Our deputies arrived on scene and investigated the incident. OCFA was on scene but all victims refused medical assistance.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will continue investigating this matter until all individuals responsible are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Deputies have increased patrol checks in and around the SC Pier area for the public’s continued safety.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please call San Clemente Police Services (949) 770-6011.
#OCSD #SanClemente
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