VIDEO: Man punches 2 young women on street in dispute over hot dog; LAPD investigates
01/29/2019 12:01 pm PST
UPDATE June 3, 2019:
A man captured on video punching two women over a January hot dog dispute in downtown Los Angeles has been sentenced to 30 days in county jail, KTLA reports.
Arka Oroojian, 30, of Sylmar, pleaded guilty on May 28 to two counts of battery, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office. In addition to spending one month behind bars, his sentence includes three years of probation and 30 days of community labor. He was also ordered to complete 24 anger management classes and prohibited from possessing any weapons while on probation.
After posting a $90,000 bail on Jan. 30, Oorijian told KTLA he was merely defending himself and that he was being unfairly "crucified" because he's a big person.
He later pleaded guilty to the battery charges. He was booked into jail on Friday, county inmate records show. Oorijian has accepted liability and agreed to pay the victims restitution, the L.A. City Attorney's Office said. He was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from them and the site where the incident happened. He was also required to write an apology letter to the women, officials said.
MORE: Man Seen on Viral Video Punching 2 Women in DTLA Hot Dog Dispute Gets 30 Days in Jail - KTLA
UPDATE January 30, 2019:
A man has been booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a brutal assault on two young women in downtown Los Angeles that was captured on video, LAPD announced Wednesday morning, KTLA reports.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Arka Sangbarani Oroojian of Sylmar, turned himself in, the Los Angeles Police Department tweeted.
Inmate records indicated Oroojian was arrested just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and booked into jail approximately two hours later, inmate records showed.
He is being held on $90,000 bond. A court date has not been set as prosecutors mull over possible charges in the case.
January 29, 2019:
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A man was caught on video punching two young women in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend, and LAPD officials are investigating the incident as an assault with a deadly weapon.
The incident occurred on Jan. 26 along the 600 block of Spring Street.
Mike Watson, who shared the video on Facebook, wrote that the man was "causing a scene" about the price of hot dogs being sold outside a bar in the area.
The man continued arguing with the vendor when one of the young women apparently said something to the man, standing up for the vendor.
Watson wrote that the man, who he described as weighing more than 200 pounds, threw one of the young women on the ground. Another young woman comes to the defense of the first girl and the man punches the second person in the face, the video shows. Watson wrote that the second young woman is his daughter. It is unclear how old the victims are. It is also unclear who shot the video.
As the video continues, the man is seen punching the first girl again and then hits the second girl with a "blind sided sucker punch," Watson wrote.
The man is then seen running away.
Watson said no one in the crowd that had formed during the incident tried to stop the man, or help the two girls after they had been assaulted.
Watson added that one of the people watching was a bouncer at a bar near where the assault occurred.
He said he posted the video online for "everyone to share" so the man can be found. "Please help us find out who he is," Watson pleaded in the post.
LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman told KTLA that a report has been filed on the case. She added that no further details were available because the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the man is asked to call 213-996-1851.
Warning: This video contains graphic language and violence.
