A day after a 49ers fan was placed in a medically induced coma from injuries he suffered at the NFC championship game between the 49ers and Rams, an arrest was made.
Inglewood, Calif., Mayor James T. Butts announced Friday (via the Los Angeles Times) that Bryan Alexis Cifuentes-Rossell, 33, was arrested on suspicion of assault by a means to produce great bodily injury, a felony.
MORE: 49ers fan in medically induced coma following attack at SoFi Stadium
The Times reported that Cifuentes-Rossell is claiming self-defense.
Butts said an altercation took place in the parking lot of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood during Sunday's game. Daniel Luna, 40, was found bleeding in the stadium's parking lot about a half-hour into the game, at which time paramedics were called.
Butts attempted to tamp down possible long-term security and safety implications for SoFi Stadium.
"[T]o be blunt about it, it looked like a small altercation that went very bad. . . . It wasn’t like you had people ganging up on somebody and beating them," Butts said.
Butts also rejected the claim that the incident was similar to the 2011 beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow outside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Stow was in a medically induced coma for months.
"I don't think there's anything to worry about," he said. "The reality is this was a . . . two-shove, one-punch altercation. The greatest damage was done because [Luna] landed on the back of his head on the pavement, so I don't think this has any implications for safety."
The self-defense claim stems from video that Butts said shows Luna, wearing what is believed to be a white Niners jersey, appearing to push a fan in a yellow Rams jersey from behind. The Rams fan then pushed Luna and struck him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head, Butts said, per the Times.
Cifuentes-Rossell was released from police custody Friday morning in lieu of $30,000 bond. Butts told reporters that it would be up to the district attorney to file charges.