Fan Beaten at Dodger Stadium

By Matt Leff

A minor fender bender in a Dodger Stadium parking lot over the weekend led to the beating of a driver and the arrest of four people more than a year after a San Francisco Giants fan was left with brain damage after an attack on opening day, police said Monday.

The latest attack occurred Sunday after a 6-5 Dodgers win over the Cardinals, when the victim, a man in his 20's, had a collision with another driver and three other men pinned him down, police said. The other driver kicked and hit the victim in the head and face while he was on the ground, police Sgt. David Armas said.

"It was just a minor fender bender that just got totally out of hand," he said. The victim sustained injuries to the head, and came away with scrapes and cuts on his face, but the injuries weren't life-threatening. A pregnant woman was also in the car when the attack occurred, but came away unharmed.

This incident marks the second time in just thirteen months that fans have been beaten in Dodger Stadium parking lot, after last year's incident in which a Giants fan was put into a coma after taking beatings to the head. Doctors later found the beating to have caused severe skull and brain damage, putting the man in critical condition.

Junior Dodger fan Josh Rombrero recognized the severity of the matter, but said he's not disheartened. "I have never once, in two decades of going to games with my family, felt endangered at Dodger Stadium. It has been overblown in the media and has unfairly portrayed the Dodgers organization and fan-base as the villain of a scenario that they could not possibly have controlled." He continued, "With that being said, if I am going to AT&T Park wearing a Dodgers jersey, I'm going to go with a bunch of friends who are Giants fans, and I am going to be as polite as humanly possible."

While violence has been prevalent in the realm of baseball, especially recently, it has not changed the way fans look at their teams or the game itself. It may, however, help make people more aware. 

Freshman Travis Smith echoed this sentiment. "I'm not saying violence is the answer or that you should go out and try to hurt someone, but for baseball and for other sports, I want to be around fans who are as passionate as I am. You also see this in other places. A Yankees fan about two years ago actually lit a Tigers fan's hat on fire in the middle of the stands. It almost makes me want to go to Dodger Stadium more."

Although we tend to associate violence with WWE or MMA, after the recent events, it cannot be counted out of America's pastime either. People can and should be fans, but perhaps it's time that they find ways to control their anger.

Contact Matt Leff at maleff@scu.edu. The Associated Press contributed to this report.