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Teen Shown Videos of His Beating at Chula Vista Restaurant

Investigators believe the teenager was attacked in connection with an ongoing argument between the boy and one of the juveniles arrested

A South Bay teenager who was brutally beaten by about a half-dozen people inside a Chula Vista Mexican food restaurant faced two of the people suspected in the attack on Monday. 

The 16-year-old boy, Paul Martin, took the witness stand at 18-year-old Kent Pasunting and 19-year-old Aldrin Uy's preliminary hearing and faced questioning about the April 11 attack that led to the arrest of six people. 

Prosecutors played three videos that captured the beating inside Cotixan Mexican and Seafood on East Palomar Street from different angles. In them, a group can be seen punching and kicking the teenager. As he fell to the floor, the group continued to beat him.

It was the first time Martin had seen one video in particular, he said, and it was hard to watch.

"It's something traumatizing, it’s something you don’t forget," Martin said. 

Defense attorneys for the two men asked Martin if he was provoked the fight, to which Paul answered, "no." 

Martin said after the beating, he suffered a bump on his head, cleat marks on his face, and a mouth full of blood.  His neck, head, back, arms and chest were in pain as he was rushed to the emergency room.  

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Pasunting is facing three charges in connection with the case: assault with a potentially deadly weapon, assault causing bodily injury and battery causing serious injuries. Uy is facing two charges: assault causing bodily injury and battery causing serious injuries.

Pasunting and Uy were brought into court in blue jumpsuits and chins and both have previously pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.

In total, six people, four of them juveniles ages 15 to 17, were charged in connection with the fight. 

Investigators believe the teenager was attacked in connection with an ongoing argument between the boy and one of the juveniles arrested. 

"The dispute began last month when the victim and suspect got into a heated exchange on social media over comments made to one of the victim’s friends," CVPD said in a Facebook post at the time of the attack.

Martin said he was coming to the defense of a bullying victim and came forward Wednesday to describe the encounter to a large crowd of supporters.

Pasunting and Uy attended Mark Twain High School which is an alternative/continuation high school located on the campus of Morse High School, police said. 

Police said the juveniles were students at Morse High School and have been suspended as a result of the incident, which was caught on video and circulated on social media. 

The owner of the Cotixan Mexican and Seafood Restaurant has expressed his concern over the incident and said he wants to make sure something like this never happens again inside his business.

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