A suspect was arrested in an altercation that badly injured a San Francisco 49ers fan in a parking lot outside SoFi Stadium during last weekend’s NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, authorities said Friday.
Bryan Alexis Cifuentes-Rossell, 33, was arrested in the investigation of assault by means to produce great bodily injury and released on $30,000 bail, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. told a news conference.
Butts said that investigators traced the suspect through a vehicle at the scene and that after the suspect declined to come in, they went to him and he voluntarily came to the police station, where he was advised of his rights.
The mayor said the case will be presented to prosecutors. Messages seeking comment were left at phone numbers and an email address believed to be associated with Cifuentes-Rossell but were not immediately returned. It was not known if he retained a lawyer.
The incident has raised concerns about security at the upcoming Super Bowl to be played at SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers fan, Daniel Luna, 40, had to be put into a medically induced coma after he was punched, fell and struck his head on the ground, according to Butts. The mayor said Friday that Luna’s condition had neither improved nor degraded.
Butts said police sought the man who threw the punch based on a blurry video and the license plate of a car.
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, Cifuentes-Rossell pushed Luna back, the mayor said. When Luna turned, Cifuentes-Rossell 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 Los Angeles 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 added.
“What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible, and we strongly condemn all violence,” the 49ers said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “We know local authorities in Los Angeles are conducting a full investigation and we’re here to support them however we can.”
Security won’t be increased because of the incident, the mayor said.
“I’m very comfortable there was sufficient security [in the parking lot],” 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 L.A. Times, SoFi Stadium officials said they were “aware and saddened by the incident” and “working with law enforcement officials.”
The Rams beat the 49ers on Sunday 20-17 to advance to the Super Bowl, where they will play the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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