People are coming together to help Rodolfo Rodríguez, a Mexican man visiting family in Los Angeles, after a vicious attack left him with two broken ribs, a broken cheekbone, and bruising. At about 7 p.m. on Fourth of July, he went on a walk near 118th and Central when he bumped into an unknown woman’s child. The women then attacked him with a brick and four men – thought to be between the ages of 20 and 30 – joined in on assaulting the 92-year-old abuelito while reportedly telling him to go back to Mexico.
Rodolfo’s grandson, Erik Mendoza, described the attack: “And when he turned his back, they just tossed him on the floor and she started hitting him, and then she grabbed a brick and started hitting him with the brick, and then out of nowhere, he saw three-four other guys just come rushing and just start stomping on him.”
Eyewitness Misbel Borjas intervened and photographed the woman before calling the police. “When I [took] the picture, she said, ‘Oh, he tried to touch my girl,’” she said. “I saw everything. This [was] a lie.” Instead, Misbel – who said she almost came under attack as well – said she heard the mom shout, “Go back to your country, why are you here, bad things.”
The attackers dispersed as cops arrived to the scene. No arrests have been made so far, and Rodríguez’s family is filled with questions. “I’m just overwhelmed how anybody can do this to a human being at all,” he said. “He’s 92 years of age. There’s no harm that he meant for you to treat him the way you did.”
Erik started a GoFundMe campaign that has already raised more than $30,000. Donate here.
Check out Fox 11’s story below, but beware, it is hard to watch.
Update, June 11, 2018 at 9:45 a.m. ET: Police have arrested 30-year-old Laquisha Jones on suspicion of beating Rodolfo. Her bail was set at $200,000, according to CNN.