Inglewood police have arrested a suspect in the beating that left 49ers fan Daniel Luna in a medically induced coma, officials said Friday.
An Inglewood Police Department lieutenant said the suspect was taken into custody Thursday night, but didn’t provide further details about the arrest, according to multiple reports. The suspect’s name has not been released.
Luna, 40, was found 30 minutes into the NFC Championship between the Rams and 49ers in the parking lot of SoFi Stadium. The Oakland restaurant owner flew down to LA to attend the game with friends, but went alone when their plans fell through.
Paramedics discovered Luna bleeding and brought him to a hospital. His injuries to his upper body and face were considered severe and consistent with an attack.
“What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible, and we strongly condemn all violence,” the 49ers said in a statement. “We know local authorities in Los Angeles are conducting a full investigation and we’re here to support them however we can.”
In a press conference Thursday night, according to the LA Times, Inglewood mayor James T. Butts described video evidence that showed Luna allegedly pushing a man in a Rams jersey from behind. The suspect then pushed Luna from behind and struck him in the “mouth area,” Butts said. Luna then fell to the ground and hit his head.
A source within the Inglewood Police Department told the LA Times that the suspect in custody is claiming self-defense.
There’s a history of fan altercations between Los Angeles and Bay Area fanatics. Most infamously, Giants fan Bryan Stow was hospitalized for months and brain damaged after a physical altercation at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day 2011. The Dodgers were found negligent in a civil suit and two attackers were found guilty.
“The situation in Dodger Stadium is nowhere comparable to this,” Butts said, “and to be blunt about it, it looked like a small altercation that went very bad…. It wasn’t like you had people ganging up on somebody and beating them.”
