The person who was arrested following a fight at the NFC Championship Game that left another person hospitalized in critical condition claims he acted in self-defense, his attorney said.
Daniel Luna, 40, is in a medically induced coma recovering from surgery for a traumatic brain injury, after he was allegedly hit by Bryan Alexis Cifuentes-Rossell, 33. The suspect, who was arrested by the Inglewood Police Department, claims he acted in self-defense via a statement from his attorney, NBC 4 of Los Angeles reported.
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The fight lasted less than five seconds, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said during a news conference Thursday and was precedent by the two men pushing each other once each.
Bryan Alexis Rossel Cifuentes
(KTTV)
Luna, a restaurant owner in Oakland, was in a crowd of about 16 people at the stadium, with people wearing jerseys of both teams when the incident took place.
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Luna then appeared to push Cifuentes-Rossell out of his way, who turned around and pushed him back, the mayor said, citing video footage.
Cifuentes-Rossell then allegedly punched Luna once in the mouth, sending him to the ground where he landed on his head, the official said.
“There didn’t seem to be any hostilities” between the two men prior to the incident, Butts said.
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After the initial incident, Luna’s attorney said his client did not personally know the suspect.
FILE – This is a general overall interior view of SoFi Stadium as the Los Angeles Rams takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif.
(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)
“Danny is a huge 49ers fan, he was so excited to go to the game,” said attorney Jonathan Davis, NBC 4 reported. “Danny is a joyful, loving, kind man, a beloved restaurant owner in the Bay Area.”
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“This is not a person with whom Danny was familiar and not someone he knew before this tragic incident,” he added.
The Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers, 20-17, and will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.
