A man who was brutally beaten by a mob of up to 40 teenagers on a California beach over Memorial weekend said he identified himself as a Marine and “they carried on.”
Hunter Antonino was quietly enjoying time away from Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Base with two others as the ferocious altercation unfolded in San Clemente.
Antonino said the confrontation started when he told the teens to stop setting off fireworks after the debris from the explosives hit him in the face.
A terrifying video posted online showed two victims curled up in the fetal position on the floor as the crowd continued to kick them, hurling swear words and racial slurs. A third Marine was also attacked, but is not seen in the footage.
The men suffered minor injuries and refused to be transported to a local hospital in the aftermath, Orange County sheriff’s deputies say.
Police are investigating the gruesome attack and the unknown teens could soon all be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Hunter Antonino (pictured) was quietly enjoying some time away from Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Base with two others when he was savagely beaten by a group of teenagers in San Clemente. He says the debris from their fireworks hit him in the face
Antonino said the confrontation started when he told the teens to stop setting off fireworks. He added that he had identified himself as a Marine and ‘they kept going’
It is believed that as many as 40 teenagers were involved in the attack, but the Marines suffered only minor injuries
In the approximately one-minute video posted to Facebook, the Marines in their civilian clothes were seen trying to climb the steps outside the Pier Bowl as a group of teenagers yelled at them.
As they approached the stairs, a male teenager was seen brutally striking the back of one of the Marine’s heads.
The Marine is then seen turning and attacking the attacker, leading to an all-out brawl – as the teen’s friends all jumped in to swing and kick him.
Within seconds, the group circled the two Marines shouting “Get that f***er” and “F*** that f***er up,” even using the N-word at one point.
As the cameraman moved closer to the unfolding scene, two of the victims were seen curled up on the floor as the group continued to beat them with vicious kicks.
The brawl only ended when two passersby, an unknown man and woman, intervened and yelled at the children, “Stop, what are you doing?”
It remains unclear what happened prior to the video, but Antonino recounted it KCAL that he had politely asked the teens to settle down.
“They were setting off fireworks, they were belligerent and obnoxious and annoying other people, so I went up to them and told them to stop,” he said.
But the group followed him back to the pier, to which Antonio said he and his friend warned the teens they were Marines “so they would leave, but they didn’t.”
The brawl only ended when two unknown passersby intervened and yelled at the teens
The vicious attack began outside the Pier Bowl as the Marines dressed in their civilian clothes began to climb the steps
Antonino fears he also suffered a concussion in the aftermath.
“There’s still blood on my face,” he said. “It wasn’t cool at all.”
Arrests have yet to be made in the brutal attack as Orange County deputies continue their investigation.
The suspects could be charged with assault with a deadly weapon “because of the number of suspects we are investigating,” Sheriff Sgt. said Frank Gonzalez.
“The weapons used were their feet while these victims were on the ground,” he explained.
“So whether the victims opt for prosecution or medical attention, the sheriff is going to investigate this to the extreme and try to determine who the suspects are.”
San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan described the attack over Memorial Day weekend as “tragic.”
“This is San Clemente, Marines are always welcome here, it’s always celebrated, it’s always taken care of, and that’s why this is so tragic,” he said.