By Tim Clifford

Vicious Independence Day beating
A disagreement over fireworks safety ended with one man being taken to the hospital with multiple fractures to his face and needing a neck brace. The assault occurred in front of a concrete plant on West Marginal Way around 3:17 a.m. on July 5, while Fourth of July celebrations were still winding down.

According to the victim he and a friend were parked in front of the concrete plant watching the street races that sometimes occur in the late hours along West Marginal. A large group of Hispanic males who were nearby were shooting fireworks at the ground through a tube and dodging the sparks that lit near their feet. The victim approached the group and asked them to stop what they were doing and to act more responsibly before they hurt someone.

The main suspect of the case said to the victim “don’t tell me what to do” and began walking towards him with several of his friends in tow. The victim attempted to calm the situation and began apologizing profusely to which the suspect responded “No, you’re gonna learn”. At that point the suspect and his friends began punching and stomping on the victim for well over two minutes, presumably only stopping once the victim had blacked out.

Friends of the victim later came to the scene and took him to the hospital where he was put in a neck brace. When police arrived to interview him they noted that both of his eyes were swollen shut and that the shoe print of an athletic sneaker was still visible near his mouth. CAT scans showed that the victim suffered multiple fractures in his cheeks and in each orbital. The suspects remain at large.

Fists and wood fly on Fourth of July
One resident on the 1300 block of California Ave. S. showed his true colors on July 4 during an Independence Day party at his home when he violently attacked two of his guests. Police arrived to the scene after 9:40 p.m. and found the shirtless “host with the most” attempting to drunkenly box one of his friends while another friend sat on the curb nearby with his bloody face in his hands. The suspect ran back inside his home before the officers got out of their vehicles.

Speaking with the victim holding his face officers learned that just minutes before their arrival the suspect had become agitated with him when he told him he was leaving the party. As he got near the front door of the home the suspect grabbed him by his throat and pushed him down the stairs in front of the home. In an attempt to defend himself the victim grabbed a piece of wood that was lying on the lawn and hit the suspect with it.
That is when things went abysmally south for the victim. The suspect grabbed the piece of wood from him and began hitting him numerous times in the face with it. At that point the second victim ran up to the scene to try and stop the fighting. This only further agitated the suspect who then took threw the piece of wood at the victim and attempted to come at him in a drunken boxer’s stance. When police arrived he ran inside.
Officers attempted to get the suspect to come out of his home but he refused to answer the door. The victims left together and both refused any medical aid before leaving the scene. Charges for misdemeanor Assault are set to be pressed against the suspect.

Crimes reported between July 3 and July 10

Burglaries by block: 2200 block of California Ave. S.W., 3700 block of 60 Ave. S.W., 5200 block of California Ave. S.W., 5900 block of 34 Ave. S.W., 7700 block of 44 Ave. S.W., 7600 block of 44 Ave. S.W., 4100 block of S.W. Portland St., 7700 block of 17 Ave. S.W., 1200 block of S.W. Holden St., 7900 block of 2 Ave. S., 8100 block of 2 Ave. S., 9000 block of 8 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 4 Ave. S.W., 8600 block of 35 Ave. S.W.