Mother, son suspected in Mets fan assault outside Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES -- Two people suspected of critically injuring a fan of the New York Mets outside Dodger Stadium are believed to be a mother and son, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said.
Police declined to discuss what precipitated the fight, which occurred after the first game of major league baseball's National League Division Series on Friday, Oct. 9, but Beck said Tuesday that detectives were reviewing video that captured the assault in hopes of tracking down the pair.
Police described the mother as being in her 40s or 50s, and her son as being between 25 and 30.
The man injured in the fight, who was taken to the hospital in critical condition, was in serious but stable condition Tuesday. Detectives began interviewing him Tuesday for more details about what happened, and they will be speaking to him again, Officer Mike Lopez said.
The fight happened in a stadium parking lot after the Dodgers lost to the Mets, 3-1. It began with an argument and quickly escalated into violence, police said.
Beck declined to discuss whether the injured man and the suspects knew each other.
Beck called the assault very unusual, saying that stadium security has been significantly enhanced since a 2011 beating that left San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow with brain damage.
"Anyone who goes to games now sees uniformed officers inside the venue as well as outside the venue, particularly for championship games or key rivalries," Beck said. "But it is a big facility, and you can't be everywhere all the time."
Beck urged anyone who saw or recorded the incident to contact police.
Dodger spokesman Steve Brener said Tuesday that the team had no comment.
Security at Dodger Stadium came under national scrutiny after a 2011 attack in the parking lot on opening day left Stow with brain damage.
Two men -- Marvin Norwood and Louie Sanchez -- pleaded guilty in the beating and went to prison. Stow sued the Dodgers and their former owner Frank McCourt, blaming them for the attack because of insufficient security and lighting.
A jury faulted the team, along with Sanchez and Norwood, and awarded Stow nearly $18 million after a six-week trial in 2014.