(NewsNation) — Nine teenagers have been arrested after an attack on three Marines, and some are facing felony charges.
The attack happened on Friday in San Clemente, California. A viral video shows the fight, which reportedly started when the Marines asked a group of teens to stop lighting fireworks.
According to the mayor of San Clemente, all nine teens are from the community. Five are in custody while four are facing misdemeanor charges.
The violent attack came on a holiday weekend to honor fallen service members. The Marines were walking away after flagging the alleged illegal use of fireworks by the teens. One teen is seen punching one of the men, and that’s when a Marine charges into the group, sparking a brawl.
The Marines attacked were curled up in the fetal position while being punched and kicked repeatedly by many teens in the group. The mayor of San Clemente told NewsNation the local school district helped to identify some of the suspects in the attack, which he called “disgusting and unjustifiable.”
“There’s no justification for this. It doesn’t matter what happened beforehand. This type of violence will not be tolerated. It’s not something that we will allow in our city. We’re going to ensure there’s law and order and the public is safe,” Mayor Chris Duncan said.
Given its proximity to Camp Pendleton, the San Clemente Pier is a popular destination for service members in their free time. Because of that, the odds are always very high that the crowds here include members of the military.
Now the Orange County Sheriff’s Department tells NewsNation that this incident is still under investigation. So it’s possible that even more teams could be charged.