Two men have been charged with beating a couple in their 60s in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after an Elton John concert last November, authorities said Friday.
Reece Hopkin, 38, and Chad Reeves, 42, have each been charged with felony assault causing grievous bodily harm.
Hopkin also faces a felony charge of vandalism or destruction of property, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The two defendants are scheduled for arraignment on May 15 in downtown Los Angeles.
“What started as a night of fun and revelry ended in violence,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“Verbal disagreements should never take such a dangerous turn. I want to thank the LAPD for their thorough investigation and our prosecutors who meticulously reviewed the case to determine what charges to bring.
We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure our entertainment venues are safe for everyone.”
The attack, caught on video, happened around 11:30 p.m. on November 17 after a “wing strike” following John’s first of three sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium over the weekend, media said. of the LAPD.
Details on the wing strike were not available.
Gascón said the violence stemmed from an argument between a woman and the 64-year-old victim in the stadium parking lot. Hopkins and Reeves became involved and allegedly began assaulting the man who suffered serious injuries.
As the defendants walked away, a man who was recording the incident on his phone followed them. Hopkins is charged with grabbing the man’s phone and throwing it to the ground, the prosecutor said.
Video immediately after the attack shows the man lying motionless on the ground, still being assaulted, possibly by several assailants, even as others tried to defuse the violence. The man’s wife is seen pulling her hair as she tries to control her husband.
Officers met the victims at a hospital, where they were receiving medical treatment, and wrote a report alleging assault.
The man suffered a concussion and a broken ankle, among other injuries, it was reported. The female victim said she was knocked unconscious along with her husband, whom she tried to revive for about 45 seconds, believing he was dead, before finally regaining consciousness, it was reported at the time.
A woman claiming to be the victims’ daughter and a nurse posted after the attack on Instagram that her father had been hospitalized with broken bones and head injuries and both parents were “lying unconscious on the floor”.
He said four men and two women attacked the couple and neither bystanders nor security guards tried to stop them.
“I’m proud of the vigilante work done by Northeast Detectives to investigate this vicious attack and bring the attackers to justice with the support of the District Attorney’s Office,” the Los Angeles Police Department chief said. , Michael Moore. “Our commitment to reducing violent crime and holding those responsible accountable will remain unwavering.”