Prayer vigil planned for beaten Giants fan

This post has been corrected. See note at bottom.

A prayer vigil is planned Wednesday night in L.A. for a San Francisco Giants fan who has brain damage and faces a long recovery after he was beaten by two people in a Dodgers stadium parking lot.

The vigil is set to start at 6 p.m. at the clinic tower outside Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center at 1100 N. State Street.

The two suspected men clad in Dodgers attire attacked three people, including Santa Cruz paramedic Bryan Stow, in Parking Lot 2 at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the end of the opening day game.

As many as 100 people may have witnessed the attack, which police said included kicking and punching, and Stow fell and hit his head on the ground. The suspects allegedly shouted expletives about the Giants as they attacked the three people.

Doctors said Tuesday that Stow had a severely fractured skull and damage to the frontal lobe of his brain. Doctors removed the left side of his skull to allow his swollen brain to decompress.

Before the attack, Stow sent a text message to a relative saying he worried for his safety and that he was “scared inside the stadium,” said his cousin, John Stow.

The Giants announced Tuesday that they will dedicate their home opener Friday at AT&T Park against the Dodgers in honor of Stow and pay tribute to him in pregame ceremonies. The team will collect donations at Monday's game to benefit a fund established to support him and his family.

The Dodgers are planning to hold a collection drive at Dodger Stadium this weekend or early next week for the various funds benefiting Stow's family, Josh Rawitch, the team's vice president of communications, told City News Service.

There is now a $100,000 reward for information about the suspects, and authorities are asking tipsters to call LA Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477, text the letters TIPLA plus the tip to CRIMES (274637), or use the website LACrimeStoppers.org.

Corrected at 9:56 a.m.: An earlier version of this post misspelled Bryan Stow's first name as Brian.

ALSO:

Beaten Giants fan has brain damage, faces long recovery, doctors say

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz

Photo: Family photo of Stow and his children. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[c alcarez]

God bless Bryan Stow and his family. Please accept my heartfelt apology for the behavior of these gangbangers. Frank McCourt needs to spring for more security to stop these gang banger low life from ruining more lives and the reputation of the Dodgers and L. A. Do we need to start a vigilante group or what.

[M]

These fools are an embarrassment to Los Angeles and the baseball community. Sports are about camaraderie, not machismo. Their "masculinity", "pride" and identity was threatened, so they were disengaged and acted violently. I hope Brian gets well soon.

If they want these boys want to be men, they ought to own up to their actions.

[Nightwatch]

I do not follow sports, but do enjoy the little I do, and to hear or see such tragic crime happen to any person, is to say, that those monster-fools, will get there very day in court, and I urge the many of people who witness this act, to please come forward, any information you have or what little you think you may know, just may be the opening point to closing in on those responsible for this horrific criminal act. Lets do the right thing, lets get this fools off the streets before someone else has to suffer??

[frankie]

this is a shame what happen to this man and I hope him the best.but this should show what a rotten place with a bunch of rotten people live in LA county.just how did these two men beat this man half to death with 60,000 plus people watching and not one person helped this man,nobody tried to stop it.what a disgrace.this shows what kind of low lifes live in this county.

[S.Williams]

OMG.when I read this story.i cried.then got mad as hell. I am so sick of cowardly thugs like this.its not only in Los Angeles.its in my town also.these punks are sooo mean and evil.if they dont respect the law.they sure dont respect us.I myself would have probably been injured as well if I had been there.I would have ran as fast as i could to my car.and believe me these punks would have seen me coming.im appaulled as to how many people witnessed this and didnt lift a finger.I pray for U Brian..and his family.remember you can do ALL things through CHRIST.who gives u strenght.I pray these jerks get caught also.....

[Cowboy Dan]

There have been times in my life that I have been a victim of crimes. There have been times in my life that I have witnessed crimes and done nothing. The times I got hurt are nowhere near as painful as the memories of my cowardice in letting other people (too often women & chldren) get hurt.

I resolved a long time ago to stand up when I see someone victimizing others who cannot or will not defend themselves. More often than not, words were sufficient to end the bullies' acts of violence. Other times I've had to get more personally involved, and I have been smacked a time or two. It felt good to do something to help someone, and whatever knocks I took were worth the pain.

I can't believe 100 people, be they men (?), women, or children, stood and watched this happen. I hope you feel the shame you should for your lack of action. Grow some stones, guys. If one MAN stands against that kind of stuff, others will follow, and the bad guys will think twice before they pull that sort of stuff again.

Oh, and fellows, after you stop the beating, walk away. If you hang around to talk to the cops, you'll be sucked into the system. You don't want that to happen. As long as nobody saw anything, it's all good.

[yolanda Tamez]

My prayers go out to Bryan Stow and his family, terrible what people will do over a dumb game....One wins, ones loses...just depends on the luck of the draw...that's about it. So hurt someone because your team did not win...group up children in men's bodies....I hope these guys get caught and prosected for being so immature......