West Hollywood Sheriff’s Lt. Ashley Turner confirmed to WEHOonline Saturday morning that suspects remain at large after a brutal group attack on a man leaving The Abbey bar early Thursday morning in West Hollywood.
The victim, identified only as “Saint,” was walking home around 2 a.m. when a woman in the West Hollywood park made aggressive comments toward him without provocation.
“She looks over to me and we make eye contact and she’s like, ‘I’ll beat his ass, too,'” Saint told NBC4 LA. “I was like, girl, I don’t even know you.”
The woman charged at him and started swinging. Moments later, several people with her joined the attack, knocking Saint to the ground. Cell phone video captured by a passing driver shows at least five people beating him in West Hollywood Park.
Surrounded and Kicked
“I was just being surrounded and kicked in the face and stepped on over and over again,” Saint said. He tried calling 911, but the attackers cornered him and took his phone.
Saint, a Fairfax District resident, suffered facial injuries that left him unable to smile properly. The attackers also stole his phone while beating him.
“This part of my face kind of feels extremely numb,” he said, showing visible injuries from the assault.
Security Ambassadors Watched
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his boyfriend, Benjamin Romero, park security watched the entire attack unfold and did nothing to intervene.
“I was on the floor completely defenseless while five people were kicking my head, my stomach, and my back in, and they were just sitting here,” Saint told NBC4. “Even me as a normal person, if I wasn’t a security ambassador, I would have been like, ‘Hey, you know what I’m saying?'”
Saint said he feared for his life during the assault, immediately thinking of 20-year-old Maritza Gonzalez, who was stabbed and killed after a bar fight on Santa Monica Boulevard in September.
“She didn’t make it, so I was just like, ‘Oh my God, what if they have a knife? I’m better off just trying to run,'” he said.
Community Rallies
The fundraiser has raised over $1,650 of a $4,000 goal as of Saturday morning. The money will help Saint cover medical bills, replace his stolen phone, and pay for legal expenses associated with pursuing an investigation.
Saint said he doesn’t believe he was targeted but thinks his attackers were under the influence. The attack appeared random.
Roosterfish Owner Speaks Out
Alex Tapia, who owns Roosterfish next door to The Abbey, said he’s not surprised to hear about the late-night attack.
“Give the sheriff more hours to be able to patrol,” Tapia told NBC4. “I think that every business owner here would appreciate that.”
Tapia said it’s up to the City to try harder to keep local customers safe.
Investigation Ongoing
Deputies responded to the incident Thursday morning after Security Ambassadors from the city’s unarmed patrol program contacted the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station. No arrests have been made, and suspects remain at large as deputies continue reviewing the case.
A West Hollywood city spokesperson said the Security Ambassadors were at the location when the attack occurred.
“We are deeply concerned by the reported attack,” the spokesperson said. “West Hollywood Security Ambassadors were onsite and immediately contacted the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, which responded to the incident.”
According to the City’s website, the Security Ambassadors provide a highly visible, uniformed presence at the street level. The program, established in 2013, has faced ongoing scrutiny over its effectiveness in preventing and responding to violent crimes.
Saint said he wants the City to take a closer look at what these Security Ambassadors actually can do.
Context of Violence
The attack comes as West Hollywood grapples with shifting crime patterns. While overall crime dropped 12% in 2025, aggravated assaults fell 31% even as strong-arm robberies in public spaces showed concerning increases.
The September 2025 fatal stabbing of Maritza Gonzalez during a brawl involving up to 30 people near Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards remains one of the most violent incidents in recent West Hollywood history.
Anyone with information about Thursday’s attack is urged to contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or at lacrimestoppers.org.
Hood
The Ambassadors are useless; I spoke with one 2 days after the attack and he explained what they could vs could NOT do due to CA Law. Basically, they are useless. I’d far rather see that chunk of change – 10 million dollars – used to hire off duty or retired police who perhaps could actually do SOMETHING.
These ambassadors must be terminated they are a waste of tax payers money I want more law enforcement till dawn because ignore the stats- the violence is still unacceptable to locals
A note of clarification. This article stated, “According to the City’s website, the Security Ambassadors provide a highly visible, uniformed presence at the street level.” That was not my experience this weekend when I walked past a ‘security ambassador’ located nearly hiding in the bushes in the park next to the Veteran Fountain. He was absolutely not “highly visible.”
A note of clarification. This article stated, “According to the City’s website, the Security Ambassadors provide a highly visible, uniformed presence at the street level.” That was not my experience this weekend when I walked past a ‘security ambassador’ located nearly hiding in the bushes in the park next to the Veteran Fountain. He was absolutely not “highly visible.”
They are nothing more than a temp agency. Their other division provided janitorial services to office buildings.
Allied Security in West Hollywood is straight trash. Jackie Hernandez and her old crew who somehow kept their high-ranking jobs don’t know what the hell they’re doing. They ain’t protecting nobody, they just riding city benefits and collecting checks. This whole operation is a damn joke and a straight embarrassment to West Hollywood. Block by Block ran this way more solid, way more professional, way more legit. The city deserve better than this joke.
The new weho. 🙁
PS these new ambassadors are useless. I only see them giggling and walking the streets and talking to one another
This does not surprise me. The last time I was out late at the clubs in WeHo there was a much different vibe vs. pre-pandemic. It felt like a Hollywood club, where a fight could break out at any time. I think it may be a combination of things. The broad acceptance of gay culture (which is great), plus the fact that places like The Abbey are fun, serve very strong drinks, and do not have cover charges or bottle service requirements, seems to have attracted a crowd that was never there before. The combination above is also what most… Read more »
And the city is allowing more and more bars to stay open to 4am. You let one do it…now they all want to do it with the mayhem continuing until 4am. Don’t think that’s a good idea given we have so many problems already.