Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives are investigating a reported assault Thursday they suspect might be a hate crime that took place outside a Valencia restaurant.
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The victim reported to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials he was attacked in the parking lot of The Alamo restaurant on the 25900 block of McBean Parkway, according to Sheriff’s Station reports.
“We’re investigating this as a possible racially motivated assault — a possible hate crime,” said Lt. Brenda Cambra of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
The attackers reportedly used racial epithets during the alleged assault, Cambra said.
A 24-year-old black man was eating at the restaurant Thursday around 5:30 p.m., when two white men who were eating at a nearby table reportedly followed him outside, according to Sheriff’s Station officials.
“When he left, they followed him to his car and they punched him in the head and the face area,” Cambra said.
The assailants were described as two men, ages 23-27 years old, both suspects had shaved heads, approximately 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Both suspects had tattoos on their arms, according to the report.
There were signs of visible injury, but the victim refused medical treatment at the scene, officials said.
“It’s an active investigation,” Cambra said, adding it was being investigated by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives. “If anyone has any information (about the suspects), we would like to hear that.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-255-1121.
There were nine reported hate crimes in 2012 in Santa Clarita, which was the most recent statistic available from the FBI.
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