New recordings obtained by The Post show the Marines who were savagely attacked by up to 40 youths on a California beach during Memorial Day weekend socializing with a group before the incident. On May 26, at least 20 persons were observed on T-Street Beach in San Clemente, including Hunter Antonino, one of the three off-duty Marines who were att@cked.
He’s wearing a cowboy hat and everyone in the group appears to be having a good time as they play cards. He then offers a half-full bottle of Fireball whiskey to a friend, who drinks from it and returns it. In another clip, a mob of people surrounds two shirtless Marines. The situation appears chaotic.
According to reports in The Post, the two Marines were being rough with each other for the benefit of the spectators. An apparent Marine named Antonino is seen pushing a little kid away from another Marine before the latter swoops in and takes the boy.
They separate from the mob and start walking down the beach together, but the people are still following closely behind. It’s unclear if this gang is the same one who attacked the Marines afterwards and shared in their beating, which left three of them with obvious wounds.
According to local news, nine juveniles were detained on Tuesday and charged with felony assault with a de@dly weapon and misdemeanor assault and battery. Two more Marines were attacked, but their identities remain unknown at this time.
The Post quotes Antonino as saying, “None of my friends were passing out anything.”, implying that no minors were served alcohol that night. Antonino had previously told KCAL News that the group of teenagers had followed them to San Clemente Pier Bowl while they were enjoying their Memorial Day weekend break.
The following tweet serves as confirmation of the news:
New video shows Marines at California beach party before being beaten by mob of teens https://t.co/0AZWQ9f79o pic.twitter.com/NKadEEcrtu
— New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2023
After he and his two buddies requested the group to cease setting off fireworks, he claims the high schoolers attacked them. “We told them we were Marines so they would leave — but they didn’t,” Antonino stated to a local TV station. They never stopped fighting each other.
Someone in the crowd yells “Get the f—k out of here” as three Marines walk up some stairs, and then a little child comes up from behind and sucker-punches one of the servicemen. The footage went viral over the weekend.
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The Marine spins around and charges into the group of roughly 30 people, only to be punched and kicked repeatedly along with Antonino as they try to defend themselves. A high schooler who was at the beach that night told The Post that some drunk Marines had crashed their celebration.
“The Marines were not just passing by. They did not mention fireworks to us once,” said the teen. The Marines refused medical treatment after the incident, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has claimed the service members are helping with its investigation and urged anyone with further details to contact them.
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