Former pro wrestler severely beaten in apparent dispute over parking spot
MAR VISTA, Calif. — A former pro wrestler was beaten severely in front of his Mar Vista home Tuesday and neighbors said it all apparently began over a parking dispute. CBS Los Angeles reports as many as six young men beat Tom Magee, who will be 60 in July.
YouTube video shows Magee when he weighed 265 pounds and fought with what was then called WWF in the '80s.
A true Goliath in the ring, Magee later became a neighborhood watchdog.
"Tom came and encountered the young men, and it proceeded to a fight," says friend Kendall Noxxel.
Magee suffered a broken jaw, broken eye socket and concussion.
"It was sort of a conflict over who was allowed to park in this spot," Noxxel said.
A neighbor who was a witness but didn't want to show her face on camera described the horrendous scene.
"They were literally kicking him, punching him in the face and in the head," said the neighbor.
She said six men were involved in the attack. When neighbors came out to see what was going on, the men took off.
When they rushed over to Magee, they said he was incoherent.
"To me, it was attempted murder. If we wouldn't have come out here I don't know if he would be alive. To look at his face if you saw his face right now and saw what they were doing to him, he's really lucky to be alive," the neighbor said.
LAPD robbery detectives are investigating. Thursday afternoon, they said two men were taken into custody. They were identified as Justin Lee, 20, and Degrate Bryant, also 20.
Both have been booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
The arrests provide a sense of relief for neighbors. Not only for their own safety but to let their watchdog know they have his back.
Magee has a long recovery ahead. But he is out of the hospital and recovering at home.
