49ers fan who owns Oakland restaurant in coma after beating at SoFi Stadium
OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland restaurateur was placed in a medically induced coma after he was beaten in the SoFi Stadium parking lot during the 49ers vs. Rams NFC Championship game this weekend, police in Inglewood said.
Daniel Luna, 40, is chef and owner of Mistura, a Peruvian restaurant on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland.
The San Francisco 49ers fan was found by paramedics in the lot with severe injuries at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, police said. He was wearing a 49ers jersey, Inglewood police Lt. Geoffrey Meeks said.
But Meeks added that there wasn’t any immediate information suggesting that Luna was targeted because he was a 49ers fan.
Still, friend Vernon Hill told the Los Angeles Times that Luna was found with his watch, phone and wallet, suggesting robbery wasn’t a motive.
After the attack, Luna was rushed to the emergency room at Harbor UCLA in Torrance where he remained hospitalized on Thursday.
Doctors believe Luna was physically assaulted and that he had gone to the NFC Championship game alone after several friends who planned to go canceled at the last minute, Hill told the Los Angeles Times.
Authorities are working with the stadium to gather video surveillance of the incident.
The Rams beat the 49ers 20-17 before a crowd of 70,000 to advance to the Super Bowl.
"He is such a sweet, hard-working, generous guy," said Sam Singer, a well-known a crisis communications specialist who dines at Mistura twice a month. "He's a great chef. I can't imagine anyone laying a hand on him."
SEE ALSO: Giants fan Bryan Stow reflects on attack 10 years ago
A KTVU crew checked on the restaurant Wednesday night and confirmed it was closed. The Peruvian-fusion restaurant's website indicates they will be closed until further notice. Luna runs the restaurant with his wife.
Singer said that Luna and his wife typically travel the world and cook together, side by side.
Neighbors in Luna's tight-knit Moraga four-plex told KTVU that his wife headed down to Los Angeles to be with him at the hospital. One of the neighbors was taking care of his new puppy to help out.
Luna has deep roots in the Bay Area and his friends are very worried about him.
"He's always really happy, really friendly," Peter Gerritz told KTVU on Wednesday night. "He cares about his friends. This is just horrible. The last time I saw Daniel, he was having lunch at his wonderful restaurant. This is just really devastating news."
Skylar Bartow works next to Luna's restaurant at Pet Food Express, where Luna came in to buy food for his puppy.
"He's a really great man," Bartow said. "I was shocked. Tears in my eyes, jaw on the floor. This is horrible."
One of Luna's customers, Dance Doyle, told KTVU on Thursday that Luna doesn't seem like a "sports-fanatic type," the kind to get into an argument, especially over a game.
"It's awful," Doyle said. "I really hope he pulls through."
The 49ers also weighed in on the tragedy.
"What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible, and we strongly condemn all violence," team spokesman Rahul Chandhok said in an email. "We know local authorities are conducting a full investigation and we’re here to support them however we can. Our thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Luna, his family, friends, and the medical team providing him care."
SoFi stadium officials said in a statement that they were saddened by what happened and that they were working with law enforcement.
While police have not been able to confirm whether Luna was targeted for being a 49ers fan, the attack does bring to mind what happened to San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow 10 years ago.
Stow was brutally beaten outside of Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles.
He was in a coma for months and suffered permanent brain damage.
Over the past decade, Stow relearned how to walk, talk, and function on his own.
Stow's attackers were sentenced to prison and he won a civil lawsuit against the Dodgers.
KTVU photographer Chip Vaughan and reporter Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.