Police in Inglewood have made an arrest in connection with an altercation that took place during Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium that left a San Francisco 49ers fan in a medically induced coma.
The arrest was confirmed Friday by Inglewood Mayor James Butts during a morning news conference.
Butts said that police on Thursday traced a vehicle seen in security video and left information for the registered owner that they were looking for someone involved in a potential assault.
They were contacted later that day by Bryan Alexis Cifuentes, 33, of Los Angeles, Butts said.
Cifuentes agreed to talk to officers, who went to his location and accompanied him voluntarily to the Inglewood Police Department where he was interviewed.
Following the interview, Cifuentes was arrested on suspicion of assault by means to produce great bodily injury, a felony, Butts said.
Cifuentes has since bonded out on $30,000 bail.
The arrest comes nearly a week after 40-year-old Daniel Luna was found unconscious in a SoFi Stadium parking lot and placed into a coma at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Luna’s condition has not improved or degraded since the incident, Butts said.
Security video showed an altercation between a person believed to be Luna and another man wearing what appeared to be a Rams jersey, Butts said during a news conference the previous day.
The video showed Luna pushing a person, later identified as Cifuentes, in the back and then turning away before Cifuentes retaliated by pushing Luna in the back and then punching him in the mouth, Butts said.
49ers fan appeared to be aggressor in fight that left him in coma: Inglewood mayor
Luna was found a short time later in the parking lot by stadium security.
Butts said he could not be sure if the altercation had anything to do with a rivalry between 49ers and Rams fans, and that the incident occurred as the game was already in progress.
It was also unclear why the large group of people were still in the parking lot after the game had started but “it looked like a tailgate party,” Butts said.
Cifuentes’ cousin, who only wanted to be identified as Chris, said he was at the game and, while he didn’t witness the incident, he believes his cousin acted in self defense.
“My cousin was facing the opposite way when he got struck from the back, and just like anybody, you get attacked from your back, you’re going to defend yourself, especially when you’re with your wife, you have to defend her as well,” Chris said.
He added that he hopes Luna is OK, and extended his prayers to him and his family.
There was no word whether there would be any further arrests in connection with the incident, or if Luna could face charges.
Butts said no other fans appeared to be involved in the incident, according to what he saw on the video.
Butts also said he did not think the incident would have any implications on safety at SoFi Stadium, which hosts the Super Bowl in less than two weeks.
“I’m very comfortable there was sufficient security. You’re not going to stop every altercation, argument that occurs between fans. It’s just not going to happen,” Butts said during his earlier news conference.