Sandy MaloneSan Clemente, CA – Nine teenagers have been arrested after viral cell phone video showed three members of the U.S. Marine Corps being violently attacked and stomped on by a mob of young people on Friday night in California (video below).
Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Sergeant Mike Woodruff said the incident occurred at about 9:50 p.m. on May 26 at the pier in San Clemente, FOX News reported.
Witnesses reported a mob of teens gathered at T-Street Beach by the San Clemente Pier.
The video showed several service members appearing to try to walk away from the crowd of unruly teens who had been shooting off fireworks at the soldiers as they walked by.
In the video, one of the teens threw a punch at a marine from behind and that man turned around and hit back, according to FOX News.
More marines jumped into the fray to help their friend and the video showed at least two of them were pummeled to the ground and repeatedly beaten and stomped on by members of the teenage mob, the video showed.
The video showed two of the victims were on the ground with their hands over their heads trying to protect themselves as the teenagers continued to kick and stomp on their heads, FOX News reported.
A pair of adult bystanders ultimately intervened after the beating had been going on for more than a minute, according to the video.
The Orange County Fire Authority responded to the scene but all of the victims refused medical treatment, FOX News reported.
OCSD is heading up the investigation into the attack and promised they will find all of the suspects and prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This is considered an assault with a deadly weapon because of the amount of suspects we are investigating,” OCSD Sergeant Frank Gonzalez said, according to FOX News.
“The weapons that were used were their feet while these victims were on the ground. So, regardless if the victims choose prosecution or choose medical attention, the sheriff’s department is going to investigate this to the fullest and try to determine who the suspects are,” Sgt. Gonzalez added.
One of the victims, U.S. Marine Hunter Antonio, told FOX News that the confrontation started after the marines to the teenagers to stop lighting off illegal fireworks.
Witnesses said that a group of at least 40 teens was setting off fireworks on the beach and drinking alcoholic beverages.
Neighbor Darren Rude said he kicked five kids out of his yard for smoking pot, FOX News reported.
“They started getting rowdy, jumping on top of the restaurant on the beach called West Toast,” Rude recalled. “They were yelling, screaming, fireworks going off on top of the restaurant, fireworks being shot at each other.”
He said he called the police three times about the kids and the fireworks but dispatchers told him that they were too busy to go after kids with fireworks on the beach, FOX News reported.
Rude said he called 911 a fourth time after he witnessed the attack on the service members.
Law enforcement would not confirm that Rude had made multiple calls to 911, FOX News reported.
“I really believe that if they had acted earlier they would have prevented it all from happening,” Rude said.
Authorities arrested nine teenagers in the beating on Tuesday, the New York Post reported.
Four boys and one girl were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and booked into juvenile hall on May 30, according to the sheriff’s department.
Four more minors have been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, CBS News reported.
San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan said sheriff’s deputies had apprehended the main suspects in the mob of at least 40 teens who attacked the active-duty servicemen near the pier on Memorial Day weekend, the New York Post reported.
The investigation is ongoing, according to OCSD.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. WARNING – Graphic Content:
Attack on Marines in San Clemente.
This is how the melee began.pic.twitter.com/HIS0H8fmOJ
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) May 30, 2023
Holly Matkin
