A man was left in critical condition after a group of six to eight suspects attacked him and left him naked in the streets of Long Beach’s Hellman neighborhood, according to court documents recently filed by police.
Officers were dispatched to the attack around 3:49 a.m. Saturday when callers reported the man was lying motionless in the area of Gardenia Avenue and Eighth Street after being attacked by a group of mostly male suspects and one female suspect, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
At the scene, witnesses told police that the suspects, who appeared to be between the ages of 16 to 20, kicked the man roughly 200 times and stomped on his head about 10 times, according to police’s account of the attack.
The assailants then removed his belongings and dragged his body from the sidewalk to the roadway where officers found him in full cardiac arrest, according to police.
The man was transported by Long Beach Fire Department personnel to St. Mary Medical Center where his current condition has left him unable to provide any statement of what occurred, authorities said.
Prior to the assault, police had been called twice, at 3:03 a.m. and 3:31 a.m., regarding the same group of suspects causing disturbances near 10th and 11th streets, according to police’s account of the attack contained in court documents. Police wrote that the group had been attempting to fight others, damage vehicles, throw trash cans and threaten to shoot at vehicles.
The account is contained in a search warrant that was filed in Long Beach Superior Court on Tuesday. The warrant asked for permission to search a 2005 Infiniti G35 that matched the description of the car used to flee the crime scene.
Police said they pulled the car over around 12:38 a.m. the day after the attack. Police said they impounded the car and the 17-year-old driver and his two underage teen passengers were given citations for being out past curfew, although it is not clear if they are suspects in the assault.
In the car, police found a blue bandana, Nike slide sandals, a sweater with the words “San Pedro” on it and a Jean-Michel Basquiat Members Only jacket, the search warrant shows.
“It is my opinion, based upon my training and experience, the items inside the vehicle have evidentiary value to the crime and can assist with identifying the suspect(s) involved,” the investigating officer wrote in the warrant.
It’s still not clear what prompted the attack, and no further suspect information was available.
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