Man brutally beaten in downtown Los Angeles
A group of 10 teens on bikes swarmed a man in his white pickup truck and beat him like a punching bag in a brutal attack in the heart of Los Angeles.
"They was whooping on him and it looked like they weren't going to stop," said witness Gary.
Gary, who didn't want to share his last name, recorded the violent attack from the 13th floor of his building.
"I heard the smashing of the truck I heard them yelling, that's what made me come to the window," he said.
While it's still unclear what led up to the fight, Gary's video picks up on Hill Street right as one of the teens throws a bike at the truck, shattering the man's windshield. At the same time, the rest of the group jumps the driver and launches an unending barrage of kicks as the driver tries his best to protect himself.
The vicious beating stops momentarily after the driver managed to get up and run to his truck. However, the teens weren't done. One of them emphatically whips open the driver's side door and continues to punch the man. The victim managed to escape the beating after driving out of the chaotic scene.
Witnesses said blood covered the man's face. People who work in the area said violent attacks like this are nothing new in downtown.
"Honestly, I thought it was theft," said witness Lauren Morinello. "I thought somebody was getting robbed because it is very common out here."
While police and security guards patrol the area, Morinello hopes for an increased presence. Police said when they got to the scene everyone had cleared out.
Without something being done, some feel their safety is always under attack.
"We don't want to work in these conditions but unfortunately we do and it does put a little stress because it makes us feel like it can happen at any time to any one of us," said Gary.
