Marines attacked near San Clemente Pier in California; arrests made

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Southern California officials arrested five juveniles on felony assault charges Tuesday after a group of minors ambushed three United States Marines over Memorial Day weekend.

San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan told USA TODAY Wednesday four more minors “will be charged” in connection to the brawl near the San Clemente Pier, roughly 65 miles south of Los Angeles, but they will not be taken into custody. Duncan did not disclose their sex or what charges they face.

Four boys and one girl were arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon (non-firearm) and booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a Wednesday statement.

The teens were among a crowd of dozens at the scene of the attack, cellphone videos show.

Authorities said they are not releasing the suspects’ names because they are minors.

“The barbaric assault on off-duty Marines at the San Clemente Pier goes against everything we stand for in San Clemente,” Duncan, a former federal prosecutor, told USA TODAY. “I want to assure our community, especially our military and veteran community, that we take this matter with the utmost seriousness and will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our city. The fact that this incident occurred over Memorial Day weekend is particularly tragic.”

Video captures attack San Clemente Pier

Deputies were dispatched about 9:50 p.m. to the pier for a report of a large group of minors involved in an assault on U.S. Marines.

At the scene, arriving officers found two Marines injured from an attack.

Footage of the attack broadcast by local outlet KTLA shows a teen punch one of the Marines from behind as he was walking away from the group of young people. The Marine turned and rushed the teen who struck him and a mob of people surrounded the pair.

A large fight then broke out and, at one point, two of the Marines are seen on the ground curled in a protective fetal position as dozens of minors kick them multiple times.

Authorities did not say what prompted the fight, but one of the victims told KCAL News it began after he asked someone in the group to stop lighting fireworks at the beach.

Hunter Antonino, who identified himself as one of the assaulted Marines, told the outlet they were “stomped on” and “beat up” by the group.

An ongoing investigation

The Orange County Fire Authority rendered medical aid to both service members, but they declined to betransported to a hospital. During an investigation, authorities said, a third Marine was discovered to have been assaulted during the incident. The extent of his injuries was not immediately known.

The sheriff’s office could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY Wednesday morning.

“Due to the nature of the incident and the large number of individuals involved, the investigation is ongoing,” the sheriff’s department wrote in the release.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

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