LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lawyers for a baseball fan on life support following a weekend assault outside Dodger Stadium said Tuesday that the team hasn't done enough to improve security since a similar attack eight years ago.
Los Angeles police are searching for a man who punched Rafael Reyna during an argument following Friday night's game between the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Christel Reyna said her 45-year-old husband sustained a skull fracture in a fall after being struck. He is in a coma.
The attack on Reyna occurred while he was walking to his truck in a parking lot not far from where Giants fan Bryan Stow was assaulted on March 31, 2011, attorneys Carl Douglas and David Lira said at a press conference.
"The facts between this incident and the Stow case are eerily similar," said Lira. He was among the attorneys who secured an $18 million judgment against the Dodgers for Stow.
Attorneys Carl Douglas, right, with David Lira, talks to reporters outside Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Tuesday, April 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Christopher Weber)
The stadium parking lot has inadequate lighting and security, said Lira. He called on the team to "put in a security plan and system that protects its fans."
The Dodgers issued a statement Tuesday saying the team is committed to ensuring the safety of fans.
"It is unfortunate that a sudden altercation between two complete strangers resulted in one of them being injured," the statement said. "Because this matter is still under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time."
The team said previously that it was cooperating with law enforcement.
Police said they are investigating the encounter that occurred early Saturday morning as an assault. No arrests have been made.
The assailant and a woman with him may have driven off in a white SUV, possibly a Toyota 4Runner, according to investigators.
Asked whether the lawyers planned a lawsuit against the Dodgers, Douglas said it was "too soon to talk about litigation."
Stow told KTVU-TV this week that he "can't believe" that almost eight years to the day since he was attacked, "it's happening again." Stow, who was permanently disabled, has since become an anti-bullying advocate.
Two men, Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, ultimately pleaded guilty to beating Stow and were sent to federal prison. They also were ordered to pay a share of the judgment against the Dodgers.
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER, Associated Press
