A Dodgers fan who alleges the team provided inadequate security and a lack of uniformed Los Angeles police officers the night he was beaten by two other men inside Dodger Stadium during an extra-inning playoff game in 2018 is suing the National League team and his two alleged assailants.
Milton Flores' Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit names as defendants Los Angeles Dodgers LLC, Guggenheim Baseball Management LP, Guggenheim Baseball Management GP LLC and the two alleged assailants, Robert and Jaime Joe Berumen. The suit does not state the relationship between the Berumens.
The suit filed Wednesday seeks unspecified damages. A Dodgers representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The suit states that "upon information and belief" Dodger Stadium has the highest crime rate of any Major League Baseball venue. The team previously staffed security with off-duty uniformed Los Angeles police officers and both sworn and non-sworn security guards, the suit states.
The team decreased security in 2004, possibly because of former owner Frank McCourt's financial troubles, the suit states. Four years later, the team began relying solely on security guards in polo shirts, diminishing safety by making police intervention seem less likely to troublemakers, according to the suit.
"This atmosphere emboldened wrongdoers at the stadium," the suit states.
In August 2018, the Dodgers resumed in-seat sales of beer to fans 21 years old and over who paid with cash or a credit card to vendors at all levels, according to the suit.
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Flores and the Berumens were present at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 16, 2018, when the playoff game between the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers went into the 13th inning before the home team won, 2-1, the suit states. At about 10 p.m. and with the game still tied 1-1, Flores and his son-in-law went to the restroom and encountered the Berumens, who appeared drunk and falsely accused Flores of trying to urinate into a trash can, the suit states.
The Berumens also called Flores a derogatory name suggesting he was not a U.S. citizen, the suit states.
Security guards tried to calm the situation, but did not follow up to confirm that the Berumens returned to their seats, the suit states. The guards also did not eject the Berumens from the stadium or monitor them to make sure they did not drink more alcohol or take steps to reduce the chance they would bother Flores again, according to the suit.
At about 11 p.m., Flores and his daughter went to a smoking area of the stadium and encountered the Berumens there, the suit states. Flores' daughter accidentally bumped one of the Berumens and apologized, but Robert Berumen shoved the woman and caused her to stumble backward, the suit states.
No security guards were nearby, the suit states.
Flores intervened to help his daughter, but Robert Berumen punched him in the face, causing the plaintiff to fall and hit the back of his head on the ground, the suit states. He lost consciousness and suffered a subdural hematoma, according to the complaint.
Flores' son-in-law also tried to protect the woman, but Jaime Berumen punched him in the left ear, causing him a laceration and abrasions, the suit states. The son-in-law is not a plaintiff.
Two security guards arrived later and separated the victims from the Berumens, the suit states. Flores regained consciousness, but had amnesia and could not recall such basic information as his address, the suit states.
The Berumens were arrested, according to the suit.
Dodgers management knew of numerous prior similar incidents at Dodger Stadium, yet still maintained a security force without uniformed LAPD officers, the suit alleges.
