A disturbing video has surfaced, capturing a group of approximately 40 teenagers engaging in a brutal assault on three off-duty Marines. The Marines had reportedly approached the teens to request them to cease lighting fireworks on a California beach. The shocking footage, which has since gone viral, depicts the Marines, who were enjoying their time off during the Memorial Day weekend, being pursued by the aggressive mob as they walked towards San Clemente Pier Bowl on Friday night.
“We told them we were Marines so they would leave — but they didn’t. They just kept going at it,” one of the attacked servicemen, Hunter Antonino, told KCAL News.
Upon reaching a set of steps, some individuals from the group behind the Marines hurl offensive remarks, demanding that they leave the area. Suddenly, one member of the mob sprints up from behind and delivers a surprise punch to the Marine who was trailing behind. After a brief moment of hesitation, the Marine instinctively drops whatever he was holding and launches himself at his assailant, successfully knocking him down. Immediately, the mob converges upon the Marine, unleashing a flurry of reckless punches while hurling verbal abuse.
One member repeatedly shouts, urging others to inflict harm: “Get that fucker! Get that fucker! Fuck that fucker up!” The Marine who was initially attacked, along with one of his companions, curls into a fetal position on the ground, shielding their heads with their hands and arms. Meanwhile, the mob continues their assault, kicking, punching, and stomping on them.
“What’s good n–ger,” one of the group asks, as others call them “p—ies” and the initial sucker-punching thug pours a drink over one of them.
The video lasting nearly a minute captures the disturbing assault, only coming to an end when a man and a woman rush in, shouting at the attackers to stop. It is revealed that at least one more Marine was also targeted, although this particular incident was not captured in the footage. Initially, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department estimated that there were 10 to 30 teenagers and young adults involved in the assault. However, when observing the footage from a distance, it becomes apparent that the number of assailants was much higher, with an estimated minimum of 40 individuals swarming the Marines on the beach.
The sheriff’s department has expressed its commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, aiming to identify and prosecute all individuals responsible for the attack to the fullest extent of the law. Sgt. Frank Gonzalez, in an interview with KCAL News, stated that the assault is considered an assault with a deadly weapon due to the substantial number of suspects involved. Although the victims, all of whom were Marines, declined medical treatment, it has been reported that Antonino, one of the assaulted servicemen, expressed concerns about a possible concussion after being stomped on.
Speaking to KCAL, he shared the severity of the attack, stating, “My face still has, like, blood all over it. It wasn’t cool at all.” Antonino further explained that he and his friends, who were on a break from Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, approached the group of teenagers simply to ask them to stop lighting fireworks, as a piece of debris had struck him in the face. “They were being belligerent, they were being obnoxious and annoying other people, so I went up to them and told them to stop,” he recounted.
Sgt. Gonzalez reassured the public that even if the Marines choose not to press charges, the sheriff’s department will fully investigate the incident. San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan commented on the tragic timing of the attack, occurring during Memorial Day weekend. He expressed his support for the Marines, stating that they are always welcome and celebrated in San Clemente, emphasizing their utmost care and protection.
