The San Francisco 49ers fan severely injured in an altercation during Sunday's NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium allegedly shoved a man wearing a Rams jersey from behind, Inglewood Mayor James Butts said Thursday.
Upon review of surveillance footage, investigators determined Daniel Luna was mingling with a group of people primarily wearing red 49ers jerseys when he allegedly shoved a man wearing a Rams jersey from behind, Butts said at a Thursday evening news conference.
“The suspect then retaliated by pushing Mr. Luna from behind, and then struck (him) once in the mouth area,'' Butts said. “Luna then fell to the ground, where he was later found by security personnel who summoned paramedics.”
The man who punched Luna was seen in the security footage interacting with the occupants of a vehicle following the altercation before he left the scene.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Authorities did not release a description of the man or the vehicle, and Butts said the security footage was “very blurry.” However, he said authorities obtained the vehicle's license plate number and were attempting to locate and interview the owner.
Luna, who was wearing a 49ers jersey, was found injured in Parking Lot L of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood around 4 p.m. Sunday -- about 30 minutes after the start of the Rams' 20-17 victory over San Francisco that advanced them to Super Bowl LVI.
Luna was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was placed in a medically induced coma with extensive injuries to his face and upper body.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Due to the nature of Luna's injuries, hospital officials notified Inglewood police about three hours after the altercation took place.
Butts deflected suggestions that the city and police delayed reports of Luna's assault, claiming instead that authorities only learned of a crime occurred after reviewing the security footage.
“To be blunt about it, it looked like a small altercation that went very bad from one punch and someone hitting their head on the ground,” said Butts, a former Santa Monica Police Department chief and a deputy chief with the Inglewood Police Department.
SoFi Stadium officials issued a statement saying, “We are aware and saddened by the incident. Our thoughts are with Mr. Luna's friends and family during this difficult time. We are working with law enforcement officials in their investigation.”
The altercation was eerily reminiscent of the 2011 beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow in a Dodger Stadium parking lot. Stow was left with permanent brain damage.
The 49ers issued a statement Thursday, saying, “What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible and we strongly condemn all violence. We know local authorities are conducting a full investigation and we're here to support them however we can. Our thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Luna, his family, friends, and the medical team providing him care.”
Luna, 40, flew to Los Angeles and attended the game alone after other fans who were to accompany him canceled, the Los Angeles Times reported. He owns the Oakland Peruvian fusion restaurant Mistura.
