A San Francisco 49ers fan is in a medically induced coma after he was punched during a parking lot confrontation with an apparent Los Angeles Rams fan at Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, the mayor of Inglewood said Thursday.
Daniel Luna, 40, remained hospitalized after the fight while police sought his attacker based on a blurry video and the license plate of a car, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said at a news conference.
Luna, who owns a restaurant in Oakland, was mingling in a crowd of about 16 people at SoFi Stadium, most of them wearing what appeared to be 49ers jerseys, when he pushed a man wearing a Rams jersey from behind, Butts said after viewing the video.
Before that, Butts said, “There didn’t seem to be any hostilities.”
When Luna turned to walk away, the man pushed Luna back, the mayor said. When Luna turned, the man punched him in the mouth, causing Luna to fall to the ground and hit the back of his head, Butts said, estimating that the encounter lasted less than five seconds.
Luna was found bleeding in the parking lot about half an hour into Sunday’s game, according to The LA Times.
“It looked like a small altercation that went very bad,” Butts said. “From one punch and someone falling, hitting their head on the ground. It wasn’t like you had people ganging up on somebody and beating them.”
Luna’s face was fractured and he was placed in a medically induced coma to prevent internal bleeding from swelling his brain, Butts said.
“What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible, and we strongly condemn all violence,” the 49ers said in a statement to the LA Times. “We know local authorities in Los Angeles are conducting a full investigation and we’re here to support them however we can.”
Butts said the video isn’t clear enough to provide a description of the suspect but he was seen talking to some people in a car. Police want to find the car and talk to the occupants to see if they were involved, Butts said.
Security won’t be increased because of the incident, the mayor said.
“I’m very comfortable there was sufficient security,” he said. “There is plenty of security in the parking lot. You’re not going to stop every altercation, argument between fans. It’s just not going to happen.”
In a statement to the LA Times, SoFi Stadium officials said they were “aware and saddened by the incident” and “working with law enforcement officials.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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