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Family says teen targeted in racial attack
Four teen suspects have been arrested for battery following a fight between two groups of teenagers at Regal Plaza in Simi Valley. The guardian of one of the teens hit in the fight believe it was a racially-motivated attack.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - A disturbing attack was caught on camera as an 18-year-old boy was attacked, and racial slurs were hurled at him outside a Simi Valley movie theater.
The assault happened on Aug. 1 outside Regal Cinemas located at 2751 Tapo Canyon Road.
What they're saying:
Video shows Michael Robinson being attacked by a group of teenagers outside the theater on Friday night. They not only beat him, but repeatedly called him the n-word.
"They end up pushing my head into a trash can, and they start hitting me in the back of my head, like this whole time I wasn't getting hit anywhere else but the back in my head," Robinson told FOX 11's Gina Silva. "Honestly, I thought I was going to die. Because I know what happens when you get hit on the back of your head. You could have internal bleeding. You could have brain damage."
Robinson said he doesn't know the teens who attacked him and recalls that they first tried to target one of his friends before turning their rage on him.
"He was hunted down, and it was very disgusting. This is not the first time that these kids are actually doing this," said Michael's guardian, Brittany Martin.
She alleges that other black and brown teens have also been targeted by the same group of white teenagers. One of them is allegedly the son of a police officer.
"Honestly, I don't hate those kids. I don't feel any animosity towards them. I pity them, honestly, because what they just did was, it was sick, it was evil. And it was not right," Robinson added.
What's next:
The Simi Valley Police Department issued a statement saying in part, "The identified suspects are all juveniles. The four juveniles have been contacted and were arrested for battery. This investigation is continuing and will be presented to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Additional charges may be filed."
The family says they hired an attorney to make sure that the appropriate charges are filed, and they are also considering suing the parents of the teenagers involved.
The Source: The information in this article is based on an official Nixle alert and direct statements from the Simi Valley Police Department regarding their ongoing investigation. Interviews were also conducted with Michael Robinson, his guardian, and the family's attorney. The details of the altercation, victim injuries, and the arrest of four suspects were all confirmed by police.