“I had two different brain bleeds and a skull fracture,” Matt told KTLA.
The victim in the January 8 assault outside Barney’s Beanery is speaking out for the first time, and his account adds new details to a case that’s been open since early January.
KTLA tracked him down. Matt, 22, says he was leaving the bar around 1 a.m. with a female companion when a visibly drunk man fixated on his friend and suddenly started throwing punches. He was bleeding everywhere, he said, and ended up hospitalized with two brain bleeds, one external and one internal, plus a skull fracture.
He also says Barney’s Beanery security guards were right there and did nothing. No call to police. No ambulance. Nothing, even as he was lying unconscious on the concrete in front of the bar.
“The security kind of stood there, and I mean, they could have at least made an attempt to call police or an ambulance or something,” he said. “Especially when I’m lying knocked out on the concrete right in front of the establishment, it’s kind of a little surprising to me.”
Matt’s attorney, Nick Galadzhyan, is going after both the unidentified attacker and Barney’s Beanery for failing to protect its patrons. “It’s something that should have never, ever happened,” he told KTLA.
The personal cost is significant. Matt is a division one college baseball player who had a real shot at going pro. Because of his injuries he can’t return to school. His degree and his baseball career are both on the line.
The suspect is still out there. He’s a Caucasian male, approximately 40 years old, wearing a blue baseball cap with “la” in cursive, a blue hoodie, and black sweatpants on the night of the attack. Contact Detective Gonzales at 310-358-4011 or c2mgonza@lasd.org. Anonymous tips go to L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.
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Thank you for the update. I was concerned about your progress, and angered that NO ONE INTERVENED!!!!
I concur with Malibu Boy’s position
I’d like to see those so-called security guards brought up on charges. They are as responsible in my opinion as the attacker. Let us all pray for his full recovery and for the attacker to be caught and severely punished. This sort of thing breaks my heart, it should never have happened.
I want to say this as a victim of crime as well from years past, Matt should have had better reaction assistance and help from security and the general public at large who have phones and ways to assist anonymously. It shows the selfishness and the complete disregard of a person who is in clear need of medical help. People turn a blind eye to something they see or avoid any responsibility. Alcohol though no excuse, can turn anyone, gays and straights alike become different people and berate, accost and punch and assault people walking by who never engage or… Read more »
Hope sheriff’s deputies catch this guy before he harms someone else. He is probably a out-of-towner, so no one has recognized him yet.