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Two men were charged in connection with the violent attack on a married couple in their 60s in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after an Elton John concert last November, authorities said Friday.
Reece Hopkin, 38, and Chad Reeves, 42, were each charged with one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury. Hopkin also faces one felony count of vandalism or destruction of property, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Both defendants are expected to be arraigned on May 15 in downtown Los Angeles.
“What started out as a night of entertainment and revelry ended in violence,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“Verbal disagreements should never take such a dangerous turn. I want to thank the LAPD for their thorough investigation and our prosecutors who meticulously reviewed the case to determine what charges should be filed. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that our entertainment venues are safe for all.”
The beating, caught on video, occurred at about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 17 following a “fender bender” after the first of John’s three sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium that weekend, Los Angeles police said.
Details about the fender bender were not available.
Gascón said the violence grew from a dispute between a woman and the 64-year-old male victim in the stadium’s parking lot. Hopkin and Reeves became involved and allegedly began assaulting the man who suffered serious injuries.
As the defendants walked away, a man who was recording the incident on his phone followed the pair. Hopkin is accused of grabbing the man’s phone and throwing it on the ground, the DA said.
Video in the immediate aftermath of the attack shows the man lying motionless on the ground, still being assaulted — possibly by multiple assailants — even as others attempted to curtail the violence. The man’s wife is seen being pulled by the hair as she attempts to check on her husband.
Officers met the victims at a hospital, where they were being given medical treatment, and took a report alleging battery.
The man suffered a concussion and a broken ankle, among other injuries, it was reported. The female victim said she was knocked unconscious, along with her husband, whom she tried to revive for about 45 seconds, believing he had died, before he finally regained consciousness, it was reported at the time.
The entertainment website TMZ posted video capturing some of the violence and reported that the victims were both in their 60s.
A woman claiming to be the victims’ daughter — and a nurse — posted after the attack on Instagram that her father was hospitalized with fractures and head injuries and that both parents “were left unconscious on the ground.” She claimed four men and two women attacked the couple and that neither bystanders nor security officers made any attempt to stop them.
“I am proud of the vigilant work done by Northeast detectives to investigate this vicious attack and bring the attackers to justice with the support of the District Attorney’s Office,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said in a statement. “Our commitment to reducing violent crime and holding those responsible accountable will continue to be unwavering.”
