A fight at a fast food drive-thru later turned violent when a driver intentionally backed into a man, according to San Diego County Sheriff’s officials.
The incident started at a McDonald’s restaurant in unincorporated La Mesa around 2:30 a.m. Monday.
Sheriff’s officials say the victim -- 26-year-old Jorge Alberto-Rocha Osuna -- was in a vehicle at the drive-thru when two vehicles pulled up behind. A man got out to pound on the windows of the restaurant and the first vehicle.
In response, two men walked out of the Osuna's car and confronted the man. The three got into an argument, which soon turned into a fight.
After they were broken up, the two men climbed back into their car, driving to a home in the 3600 block of Avocado Village Court.
The two vehicles from the drive-thru followed them and started revving their engines as the men emerged from the first car.
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With tires squealing, one of the vehicles drove straight at Osuna, swerving just in time so he was not hit. The second vehicle did the same maneuver, missing Osuna as well.
But that driver then threw the vehicle in reverse and struck Osuna, pushing him against a building, sheriff’s officials say.
Leaving Osuna with life-threatening injuries, the two vehicles fled.
Neighbor Kyle Spotts recounted for NBC 7 what he observed in the strange altercation.
"Heard a car zoom by, heard some screeching, heard a car zoom by again," he said. "I heard a crash and I heard a car take off. I heard a lot of yelling, ran right outside, where I saw a bunch of debris on the ground and saw somebody laying on the ground."
Spotts said he ran out to help Osuna and made sure an ambulance was on the way.
Those nearby wrapped a belt around the victim's leg to stop the bleeding and elevated his chin to clear his airway.
"The guy was unconscious, not moving, leg really badly, badly broken," Spotts said. "He had some severe head trauma; he was bleeding pretty bad from his head."
Osuna was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he is now on life support.
Sheriff's officials say later that day, 19-year-old Darius Watkins-Risberg of Spring Valley returned to the McDonald's, where investigators asked him come back to the station for questioning. He voluntarily complied.
Watkins-Risberg was later arrested and booked into the Central Jail for assault with a deadly weapon.
If you have any information about this incident, call the homicide detail at 858-974-2321. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 888-580-8477.
