A 23-year-old man from Los Angeles County was arrested in connection with the beating of a Phoenix woman at RÜFÜS DU SOL’s recent show at Rose Bowl Stadium.
Tens of thousands made their way to the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena this past weekend to catch RÜFÜS DU SOL on their Inhale / Exhale tour, but the night didn’t go as planned for one woman from Phoenix who was beaten by a man in the stands. The incident was captured by a fellow attendee and quickly went viral after being shared by outlets like Festive Owl, as the victim requested help from the community to identify the offender.
The violent act broke out in the stands prior to the trio’s headline performance. The victim and her friend reportedly spilled a drink on a man, who has since been identified as Julio Cesar Lopez Zavala, in front of them accidentally. After they apologized, he allegedly stormed off. According to the victim, he returned screaming and threatening violence a half an hour later. As she attempted to de-escalate the situation, a fight broke out, leading to a brutal beating that knocked her unconscious and caused serious bleeding.
“This man PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE, knocking me out and causing significant bleeding, while he continued attacking our group,” the victim told Festive Owl. “Another friend tried to protect us, but the attacker fled into the crowd and hasn’t been found. A police report was filed.”
The video that circulated online shows the man, whose face is visible at the beginning, throwing multiple punches at the group as someone else attempts to pull him back from the crowd. Not only did this catch the attention of those on social media, but also RÜFÜS DU SOL themselves, who posted a public statement on Instagram about how heartbroken they were to hear about the attack and calling the incident “completely unacceptable.” Followers of the page and others who shared the video also began to try to identify who the man might be in the following days.
Police immediately responded to the scene on August 16. The investigation that followed led to the arrest of Julio Cesar Lopez Zavala, a 23-year-old Hawthorne resident, on Thursday, August 21.
“The investigation revealed that three victims were assaulted to varying degrees by a male suspect who reportedly became agitated after a drink was spilled,” said the statement from police to Variety. “With the assistance of video footage and numerous tips from the public, Pasadena Police Department detectives were able to identify the suspect.”
According to officials, charges against Zavala are currently pending review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The primary victim is expected to make a full recovery.
