Man dies at Santa Ana Starbucks after being struck by skateboard

SANTA ANA, CA (CNS/FOX 11) - A man in his 50s was fatally injured today when he was hit on the head with a skateboard during a confrontation with another man inside a Santa Ana Starbucks.

The confrontation occurred just after 12:30 p.m. at 3345 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. The injured man was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Bertagna said.

A witness told a reporter at the scene that the man, believed to be in his 50s, was acting erratically outside the Starbucks and even banged on the cafe's front window. He then walked into the store and approached a younger man who was seated at a table. The older man made a comment and then advanced aggressively toward the younger man, who quickly stood and struck the older man in the head with a skateboard, the witness said.

The younger man, who is in his 20s, remained at the scene and has been cooperative with investigators, Bertagna said.

"At this point we don't know if there was a relationship between the two of them, but something led to a verbal altercation, which led to a physical altercation," Bertagna said. "We do not know if it was done in self-defense
or it was an act of aggression. That's what the detectives were looking into."

The man in his 20s was already in the store when the victim walked in, Bertagna said.