A Chula Vista woman says she can only eat soup through a straw after surviving an attack by more than a dozen teenagers after midnight in Imperial Beach.
She is retired and widowed. Fearing another attack, she wished not to be identified or show her face on camera. Some IB residents say the alleged attack is not an isolated incident, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is trying to see if they're right.
“I got kicked, kicked in the jaw, all my teeth are loose. Its broken up here and there are facial bones out in here broken. My wrist is broken over here and over here,” the victim said pointing to her injuries.
“I have to have soup mostly through a straw still,” she added.
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On the night of July 28, after spending time in Yeh Old Plank, a popular watering hole on Palm Avenue, the woman said she walked the 100 feet from the bar to the beach and then sat on a bench to watch the waves.
Then, she said half a dozen teens approached her and asked her to come over. After asking what they wanted, the group immediately threw her to the ground and they began kicking her in the head. A second group of teenagers joined in the assault, she said.
Because it was after midnight, there were few witnesses, if any, but there was one watchful eye: an Imperial Beach Lifeguard camera that recorded the entire alleged attack.
“I am afraid to go back to Imperial Beach. I am afraid some of these teens will see me,” the woman said.
This alleged attack may not be the only mayhem at the hands of this group of teenagers.
Two hours before the woman was beaten, 7-Eleven employees confirmed a group of teens stole two 18-packs of beer from the store on Palm Avenue at 2nd Street.
Last Saturday, neighborhood residents say a group of teens attacked and beat a man at a basketball court just two blocks away.
“Detective Douglas told me they have been on a spree and since this last 7-Eleven crime there have been multiple crimes,” the victim said.
Ye Old Plank patrons and staffers came to the woman’s aid as soon as they heard the commotion. The Co-owner of the bar, Martin Mattes, said this is most unusual.
“These kids are under the impression that, 'Hey, we can do whatever we want whenever we want,'" Mattes said.
The sheriff's deparmtent'sJuvenile Detectives are investigating the reported crimes. NBC 7 reached out for more information on Monday but has not heard back.
Mattes said the solution may require more than just an arrest.
“It is a community problem. It’s something that we as a community have to adjust and look at,” Mattes said.
Witnesses told NBC 7 some of the attackers were taken into custody at the basketball court incident last Saturday, but the sheriff’s department has not confirmed it.
Detectives have not connected suspect groups in the alleged attack, 7-Eleven robbery or basketball court attack.
