Following a high school student’s horrific beating by a mob during an impromptu Palmdale rock performance, family members are demanding justice and hate crime charges.
The video of the vicious attack, which has now gone viral, shows 17-year-old Elijah Green curled up on the ground while at least four people, believed to be adults, continuously stomp on, kick, and punch him while others can be heard encouraging the fight from outside the screen.
The audio from the clip also captures the perpetrators uttering racist obscenities during the physical assault.
“We were in the hospital watching the video,” Elijah’s mother, Roneika Green, said a Monday morning news conference. “No mother should have to watch their child being stomped like this.”
The incident occurred last month, after those in attendance claimed Elijah inappropriately touched a woman the night before. Roneika, on the other hand, denies this, claiming that her kid tripped and leaned against the woman to avoid falling.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated KTLA on the night of the attack, stating, “Palmdale Station is aware of an assault with a deadly weapon that occurred on the above date at an impromptu concert at the intersection of Old Harold Road and Firethorn Avenue.”
LASD stated that investigators have been assigned to the case and are in “extensive contact with the victim and his family.” Officials did not reveal the victim’s name or age, nor did they disclose any other details on the reported assault with a dangerous weapon.
Elijah’s family approached Najee Ali, a local civil rights activist and Senior Organizer with Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches, about serving as their voice and champion.
“The racially motivated assault of Elijah Green is one of the most horrifying hate crimes against a young Black person I’ve ever witnessed,” Ali told reporters. “This is L.A. vs Hate, and we are calling for a unified response from every community organization and leader who stands for justice.”
While the severity of Elijah’s injuries was not specified, Ali’s statement contained a quotation from Roneika, who said, “As a mother, watching my son get nearly beaten to death by a racist mob—while no one helped him—is something I’ll never forget.”
According to officials, this is an active inquiry.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department takes any allegation of hate crimes seriously, and all cases will be thoroughly reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” stated the department’s press release.
Anyone with information should contact Detective Peirson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Palmdale Station at 661-272-2477.
Reference: Mob brutally attacks teen at Palmdale concert, family seeks hate crime charges