Teenagers To Receive Charges For Beating Three Off-Duty Marines

Several of the teenagers allegedly responsible for the beating of three off-duty U.S. Marines before Memorial Day weekend have been arrested and charged.

While the group that descended upon the Marines was over 40 persons in size, five have so far received felony charges, and another four may face misdemeanor charges.

The Blaze recently reported that three U.S. Marines confronted the “teenage group” about their inappropriate behavior at the San Clemente Pier Bowl area.

According to one of the Marines, Hunter Antonino, “They were lighting off fireworks, they were being belligerent and obnoxious and annoying other people, so I went up to them and told them to stop.”

The teenagers not only refused Antonino’s request but followed him towards the pier, the Daily Mail reported.

Footage of the incident appears to show a teenager punching one of the Marines in the back of the head near the stairs of the pier. The Marine attempted to seek his attacker, but the teenager who hit him retreated behind his peers. The former soldier is then encircled and attacked from all sides.

Moments later, the teenagers began to attack the other Marines. Footage shows the Marines receiving many kicks and punches to their head while curled up in the fetal position on the ground.

Some bystanders cheered on the teenagers, yelling, “Get that f—–,” “f— that f—– up,” and other explicit language.

“I didn’t know what was going on. I was just trying to go back to the car and then I had turned around … to help them out. And then we’re just all in this circle being stomped on, beat up,” Antonino said.

The teenagers continued beating the Marines until two adults eventually broke it up.

While bloodied, Antonino and his fellow soldiers sustained minor injuries and refused to go to the hospital.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department stated that the teenagers responsible would be “identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The department said that investigators identified four male teenagers and one female believed to have been involved in the beating. The identified attackers were arrested and booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall.

CBS News reported that San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan indicated that nine juveniles might receive charges relating to the attack.

“They think they have the people they are looking for,” Duncan said. “Not to say that there might not be a few others out there. They feel pretty confident that they have the main perpetrators.”