VIDEO: Teens Attacked With Baseball Bat, Asked About Gang Affiliation In Santa Ana
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Police have released video of what could have been a brutal attack last month on two teenagers who were walking in Santa Ana after dark.
Detectives said the victims were walking on Wilshire Avenue near Ross Street Dec. 30 around 10 p.m. when a car pulled up and stopped near them, Santa Ana police said.
Four suspects exited the older model Honda Accord and began questioning the victims about their "gang affiliation" and demanded their property, police said.
When the victims refused to hand over their property and took off, the suspects chased and assaulted them, according to detectives.
"You can see the victim stand up and say something and one of the suspects comes back and starts assaulting him again and then reaches in his pocket and takes his phone from him," Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
One of the victims was struck with a baseball bat, but police said the teens only suffered minor injuries.
The suspects then took the victims' property and fled westbound down Wilshire Avenue.
"We'll definitely be more aware," Maria Marin, a Santa Ana resident, said. "And we won't walk around at this time, or maybe walk around with a guy."
The homeowner who captured the attack on his security cameras said he just recently set them up after recent break-ins.
"They really think that they're not being watched, but there's plenty of people with cameras and plenty of people to catch them," the man said.
Police said they believe the men might be gang members, but said they would not know for certain until they are able to talk to the suspects. Anyone with information on the attack was asked to contact Detective Prewett at 714-245-8323 or Dprewett@santa-ana.org.
