Giants fan critically beaten after Dodgers home opener

The Los Angeles Dodgers opening day was marred by violence when a San Francisco Giants fan was critically beaten in the stadium parking lot after the game.

Los Angeles police were searching Friday for two Dodgers fans responsible for assaulting and critically injuring a man wearing San Francisco Giants apparel following Thursday’s game.

"The man suffered a serious head injury during the assault after the game,'' said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Sanford Rosenberg, watch commander at the Northeast Station.

Rosenberg said the victim was one of three Giants fans attacked in the parking lot around the end of the game by two unidentified men wearing Dodgers clothing.

The unprovoked attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. in Parking Lot 2 when two men in Dodgers clothing approached three victims in Giants apparel, police said.

The men then attacked the trio, kicking and punching them and shouting expletives about the Giants as they delivered the blows, Rosenberg said. The attack left one victim hospitalized in critical but stable condition, Rosenberg said.

The LAPD arrested at least two people for public intoxication in the parking lot compared to more than 130 on opening day last year.

Detectives ask anyone with information on the attack to call the LAPD's Northeast Station at (213) 485-2563.

Public intoxication has been an issue at Dodger home openers in the past, leading to police crackdowns. It's unclear if drinking was a factor in this case. The Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1.

RELATED:

Giants fan seriously beaten, 25 people arrested at Dodgers home opener

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly greets his coaches and reserve players during pregame introductions on Thursday evening at Dodger Stadium. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / March 31, 2011)

Comments

[paul inman]

im a gaints fan and i think l.a stinks thats why i moved from la to palm springs the people r nice and there r limited gangs here. and u r safe to walk in parking lots without looking over your shoulder.wish the gaints fans a speedy recovery

[Carol]

Dodger fans are nothing, but a bunch of low rank thugs. I use to love the Dodgers, but the fans turned me off of them. Last year my sister's boyfriends was almost beaten in the mens room for being an Angel's fan. Lucky for him two security guards just happened to come by and saw the whole thing and tossed the two thugs out of the stadium.

I wouldn't waste my money going to Dodger Stadium to see your favorite team play the Dodgers. Not with all the low life scumballs posing as fans there.

[Dominic]

I live in LA and would much rather drive my family to Anaheim or San Diego to see the Angeles or Padres then take them to "Doyer Estadio". Dodger fans for the most part have become another branch of the "Raider Nation Gang". Raider fans are so bad that they make you nervous sitting in a car next to you at a red light.

I for one will also not be going to any NFL game in LA if we get a team. I would much rather enjoy myself at a game than worry about me and my families safety.

[aceygirl]

If we judged all fans of certain teams by the actions of a few, then ALL fans of ALL teams must be thugs. Gimme a break. There are low-life Yankee fans, Mets fans, Philly fans, Giant fans....etc. etc.

[Hooked A Skate]

I get assaulted every time at Dodger Stadium parking....of course, it's when I am paying to get in.

[Erin]

That's exactly why I am not a Dodger fan...That's what exactly is going to happen at Quakes Stadium now that they are the minor dodgers...what a shame.

[clarkiebob]

this is neither a giants or dodger issue, it is a crime and no TRUE baseball fan would ever do such a thing. keep the gang bangers out of the ballparks MLB!

[JMD]

Sports and religion tend to bring out the biggest Neanderthals with gang mentality in any society. Keep it classy people!!!

[Safety First]

This is a disgrace that has to addressed. You can take my twenty dollars to park, but not protect me. ( Or my car for that matter.) Once you're in that parking lot all bets are off.

The parking lot is not safe for visiting fans. Especially when the Dodgers lose.

[Angels Fan]

This is exactly why Angels fans vomited when Artie re-named the team the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. We don't want to have anything to do with LA or its trash.

[swingdude]

For years, Giants fans have chanted "Beat LA" and cheered Dodger failures more than their own limited accomplishments. What did real Dodgers fans do? Nothing! Because we didn't care enough about the Giants to give them the time of day.

These assailants are not Dodger fans. They are people sporting some "colors" looking for anyone to cross them sideways so they can initiate a beating. The same people who "rioted" after the Angels won in '02 but couldn't tell you their Eckstein from their Glaus.

At no point do real Dodger fans consider this acceptable behavior. Please do not lump us all in as thugs.

[SoxFan1]

Sounds like a pretty easy liability case against the McCourts for not providing adequate security at the event. If I was the victim I'd subpoena the schedule of deployment for all security including off duty LAPD working this game. They should have had designated posts for the entire event. Subpoena records for surveillance camera angles in and around the incident location. Finally, the Dodgers should have emergency blue light phones accessible in the parking lots to make it easier for fans to report crimes in progress or suspicious activity.

Finally, if any deficiencies are identified, why not sue the City of LA as well. They oversee the LAPD off duty officers working these off duty assignments. Sounds like an outstanding lawsuit can be initiated from here. Get McCourts to pay for negligence.

[Baseball Fan]

First off, prayers go out to the victim.
To say ALL Dodger fans are like this is wrong, I have Dodger friends who have more class than this. EVERY sports team out there, not just baseball, has low-life fans like these that give the rest of the fans a bad name/image. People need to act civilized when they go to games. A baseball game is an event where people can go and enjoy the game as a family, people shouldn't have to worry about taking their kids and having them witness this type of stuff.
This is WRONG!

[EnemyOfTheState]

Do we still need a football team or was this enough?

[LASportsFan]

...yet more evidence that the LA raider fan has traded his silver and black jersey for a Dodger Blue jersey.....dang.

[Dan Ford]

No more beer at Dodger Stadium...thanks guys

[junior]

Agreed..There are alot of thugs that attend the Dodger games for some reason. I went once a few years ago with seats right behind homeplate. A fight broke out between 4 idiots in there 30's and a 90 year old man over a bouncy ball. It was ridiculous..This needs to change immediately unless L.A. wants to build a reputation similar to Raiders fans. I will never attend another Dodger game..bad area, bad fans, boring sport....I will stick to Anaheim Angels if I ever do go to another game. As far as Im concerned you could get rid of baseball altogether. At least the fans are not like Soccer fans in Europe.

[A Cardinals Fan]

Some of these fans go a bit overboard, I have seen Youtube videos where raidres fans are yelling in peoples face that r not fans of their team.. i had the unfortuante experience of being at a 49ers game againest the cardinals in arizona this past year and there was a drunkerd 9ers fan who was right below us and got in our face and was yelling and cussing at us and wanting to fight she had her 49ers towel in our face and she was very obnoxiuos fans like this and those that are voilent need not be at football game!!!! I hope that who ever is responsiable for this tragic incident is arrested to the fullest he or she needs to be made an example so as that no one else will think about harming a person because of the team that they r rooting for prayers for the family who has to sit and pray that their loved one will recover and be ok from such a troubling crime such as this

[Bridge_runner]

Raise prices on the cheap seats/bleacher section. Make it more expensive to get in. You'll weed out alot of punks right there.

[pmoney]

On another note, since when did Bill Murry become the coach of the Dodgers?

[24]

Don't you mean Dodgers beat on the Giants 2 on 1.

[JasonSabio]

This is totally disgusting and deplorable... but it's ridiculous to blame all Dodger fans or the entire city if Los Angeles for the despicable actions of two idiots.

[Fan from 63]

First I like to say sorry for the Giant fan, I truly hope for a fast and speedy recovery out of the Hospital.
Second, I am a long time Dodger Fan, Love Baseball, grew up going to games with a radio to hear Vin Scully give the play by play, yeah, those that know, know what I am talking about. I lived in LA all my life until 10 years when I moved up near the Bay Area (SF Giant Country), you think those fans up there gave me a break, no way, I couldn’t wear my Dodger cap or root for my team with out getting abused! I am in no way a smack talker either, I love the game and I applaud good plays regardless of who make’s them. I was told more than once that if the Giants still played at the old candlestick park that I would not last a minute! Maybe because I am a fit healthy man and not a smack talker saved me a few times from ending up in fight. Giants fans are Thugs too!

[Jackie Greig]

I've been a Dodgers fan all my life, and I'm not a thug. I don't taunt other fans when I go to the games. What's the difference? I was raised by parents who didn't want to be my friend; they were my parents and they taught me how to behave and how to treat others. They didn't coddle me and tell me that everything I did was great. There were consequences for my actions. They weren't afraid of upsetting me by being parents and teaching me right from wrong. Too many teens and young adults these days have no respect whatsoever for other people or adults not in their immediate circle. They feel they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and have no way to cope with things that upset them because mommy & daddy made sure nothing ever upset them. Great job parents!

[Sick of these Times]

This was as stupid an act as could be committed by so-called grown men. Grow the eff up already! But let's have the Giants fans who come on here complaining about the classlessness of Dodger fans take a step. There's a reason you guys are called the battery chuckers by the bay. I was hit with any number of items at the Stick back in the 90's. Beers, food, batteries, etc. And if I complaineed about it to event staff, the wonderful security you had up there kicked me out of the stadium. That's really classy. It's just a game.