A San Francisco 49ers fan was beaten during Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Rams and is in a medically induced coma.
Daniel Luna, 40, remained hospitalized after he was found in parking lot L of SoFi Stadium, south of Los Angeles, at about 4 p.m., a half-hour into the game, Inglewood police Lt. Geoffrey Meeks said.
Luna was wearing a 49ers jersey, Meeks told the Los Angeles Times.
Hospital emergency room workers ‘believe he suffered from an assault at the stadium to his upper body and facial area,’ Meeks said.
No suspects were identified, but police and stadium security were investigating, he said. When Luna was found, he still had his watch, phone and wallet, suggesting robbery wasn’t a motive.
‘We are relying heavily on video to try to identify the people involved,’ he said. ‘We are going to leave no stone unturned.’
A stadium spokeswoman and Inglewood police declined to comment on the case as it remains ongoing.
Luna owns a Peruvian fusion restaurant called Mistura in Oakland. He flew to Los Angeles to see the game alone after other fans who planned to attend with him canceled, according to Vernon Hill, a friend who is in touch with the family.
He said Luna usually shared photos of his outings with friends and relatives, but they did not receive anything on Sunday night.
The Rams beat the 49ers 20-17 before a crowd of 70,000 to advance to the Super Bowl. So many San Francisco fans were expected, that some of the L.A. players’ wives gave away tickets to Rams supporters on social media.
‘I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,’ Hill told the Times. ‘They are having the Super Bowl there.’
Meeks said there was no immediate information suggesting that Luna was targeted because he was a 49ers fan.
The incident is reminiscent of a 2011 parking lot attack at a baseball game that left a San Francisco Giants fan badly injured at a game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Bryan Stow was left with brain damage and placed into a medically induced coma before waking up.
Two men, Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood were convicted of the attack and sentenced to a eight-year and four-year prison sentence, respectively.
