49ers fan beaten into medically induced coma after brawl during NFC title game, arrest made
During the NFC title game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, an Oakland man was placed in a medically induced coma after he was found very badly injured after being assaulted in a parking lot at SoFi Stadium.
Lieutenant Geoffrey Meeks, with the Inglewood Police Department, said a call for medical aid was made at 4:05 pm local time about an injured man in one of the stadium’s parking lots.
Meeks also stated that the Los Angeles County Fire Department also responded to a call for 40-year-old chef Daniel Luna, who was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and rushed to the emergency room.
Officers were not aware of the severity of the incident until the hospital’s emergency medical personnel made contact with them at 6:30 pm local time. Due to the dangers posed by Luna’s state, the 49ers fan was put into a medically induced coma.
Detectives concluded that Luna’s injuries were in line with an assault victim. Luna was in a San Francisco jersey and black pants when the incident took place. However, they have yet to find evidence indicating whether or not Luna’s fandom played a role in prompting the attack.
Video footage mainly showed Luna hanging out with 49ers fans in the parking lot when he looked to have pushed the suspect from behind. The suspect then turned and hit Luna in the mouth.
Butts said Luna was placed in a medically induced coma prior to being questioned by officers and it wasn’t until footage of the incident came to light that officers confirmed that an assault had taken place.
49ers Release a Statement and an Update
A spokesperson for the 49ers released a statement regarding the assault, saying:
“What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible, and we strongly condemn all violence. We know local authorities are conducting a full investigation and we’re here to support them however we can. Our thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Luna, his family, friends, and the medical team providing him care."
Days into the investigation, Inglewood police lieutenant Nicole Loudermilk stated a 33-year-old man had been taken into custody in connection to the assault on Luna. The man was then let go on $30,000 bail. Additional details have not been released at this time.