49ers Fan In Coma Following SoFi Stadium Assault During NFC Championship Game
By Web staff
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INGLEWOOD, California (KPIX) — A San Francisco 49ers fan who traveled to the NFC Championship Game is in a medically-induced coma after he was assaulted outside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, police said.
Police confirmed to KCBS-TV that 40-year-old Daniel Luna of Oakland was found severely injured in the parking lot from an apparent beating, shortly after kickoff of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Luna was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where ER staff determined that he suffered injuries they believed to be from an assault, police said. He was placed in a medically-induced coma due to the severity of his injuries.
Police said it is believed that his attackers used bodily force and that no weapons were involved.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Luna had been wearing a San Francisco jersey and black pants at the time of the incident.
The newspaper reported that Luna is the owner of Mistura, a Peruvian restaurant in Oakland. A note on their website Wednesday said the establishment on Piedmont Avenue was “temporarily closed.”
A family friend told KCBS-TV that Luna had gone to the game alone, after other friends had canceled plans to attend. Luna’s wife has traveled to Southern California to be with him at the hospital.
More than 70,000 people, including many who traveled from the Bay Area, attended Sunday’s championship game, in which the 49ers lost to the Rams.
Police said they were working with SoFi Stadium security to review security camera video and are trying to locate attendees who may have cellphone video of the attack. Investigators have not developed any description of the suspects.
Late Wednesday night, 49ers executive vice president of communications and public affairs Rahul Chandhok issued a statement to KPIX 5.
“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,” Chandhok said.
The attack on Luna draws parallels to the assault of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow, who was brutally beaten outside Dodger Stadium on Opening Day in 2011. Stow suffered severe brain damage in the attack and two men were convicted in the case.
SoFi Stadium is set to host Super Bowl LVI, featuring the Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, on February 13.
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