Jason Ríos just wanted a hamburger.
The 15-year-old from Watts sat with a friend at dinner on an outdoor patio at Freedom Plaza on Century Boulevard on Tuesday when, without warning, three boys attacked Jason and his friend from behind, striking them as they sought cover.
No one intervened, according to Humberto Ríos, Jason's older brother. There were no security guards present when Jason fell to the ground, shielding his head with his arms as his attackers kicked and punched. The attackers appeared to point at the children and did not try to rob them, according to the family.
“We don't believe he said anything to these other people before they attacked him,” Humberto Ríos said.
The Simon Tech High School straight-A student underwent eight-hour emergency surgery after the attack to stop bleeding in his brain. His friend was also hospitalized. On Wednesday, police arrested a juvenile on suspicion of attempted murder; Two other suspects remain at large, Los Angeles police said in a news release.
“There's no explanation why this happened,” said Jason's older sister, Nayeli Rios. “Jason never goes out. We always make sure to take him to and from school. He just stays home and plays video games like Fortnite.”
Jason turned 15 on May 10, a few days before the attack. He asked his mother to let him go on a typical teenage outing: hamburgers with a friend. His family relented and told him to make sure he had his phone on, Nayeli Ríos said.
On Monday, Jason and his friend ate burgers on the outdoor patio of Habit Burger Grill. Like a typical teenager, Jason came home and played video games without giving any more details about his dinner. He conveyed to his family that everything was uneventful.
On Tuesday, Jason returned with his friend to the same outdoor patio. Shortly before 7:00 p.m. they were attacked. The attackers repeatedly punched and kicked Jason in the head. He fell, but was able to get up and run away, Humberto Ríos said.
Humberto Ríos then described what happened next.
The teen stayed in Freedom Plaza and ran to a nearby Panda Express where he called his mother in a panic. He could tell that his son had been attacked, but he couldn't make out much else because he spoke with difficulty.
“She couldn't understand it. Only half of her words came out of her mouth,” said Humberto Ríos.
He drove to the Panda Express, but saw nothing out of the ordinary: neither ambulances nor police vehicles.
He walked through the restaurant and found his son lying on a patio bench. She looked up but couldn't say anything.
The property management company at Freedom Plaza did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
The family took Jason to MLK Community Hospital in Willowbrook. But medical staff didn't believe Jason had been attacked or didn't seem to notice that the boy was vomiting blood, said his sister, Nayeli Ríos.
“A doctor asked Jason if he was drunk,” he said. “They didn't seem to believe they attacked him and hit him in the head.”
Jason couldn't keep his eyes open and was shaking as he waited for medical attention, according to his family.
MLK Community Hospital did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the Rios family's experience, but what is clear is that Jason was finally able to obtain a CT scan of his brain. Doctors found bleeding in his brain, Nayeli Ríos said. He was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance and admitted for emergency surgery. Jason was in surgery for nearly eight hours, Humberto Ríos said, and came out around 6 a.m. Wednesday with a tube down his throat.
Nayeli Ríos saw that her brother's shaggy hair had been shaved for the surgery and he could only see out of one eye due to swelling. Doctors removed the tube from his mouth Thursday morning and reduced his sedation, Humberto Ríos said. Half awake, Jason's words came out garbled or too quiet for anyone to hear. All his family could do was hold his hand.
On Friday he underwent a second surgery, Nayeli Ríos said. Jason's family has created a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his medical expenses.
