A man suspected of assaulting two women at a hot dog stand in Los Angeles was arrested by police. Video recorded during the altercation shows a man repeatedly punched two women before fleeing through traffic to the other side of the street.
It all started when the two victims approached the hot dog stand and noticed that a man was angry at the vendor over the price of hot dogs. Apparently, the man was angry that the hot dogs cost $6 and, when offered a free hot dog by the vendor, turned it down and continued raving about the price. At that point, one of the women told the man to “just leave,” after which he went irate and started punching the women.
Bystanders got video of all but the very first blows being thrown, though none of them stepped in to help the victims.
Assault is covered under California Penal Code 240 PC and is described as an attempt to commit a violent injury on someone else. A person can be charged with assault regardless of whether or not they actually make contact with anyone. The reason for this is because the crime itself is committed when someone attempts to commit a violent injury on someone else. Whether the defendant actually inflicts the violent injury or not doesn’t matter when it comes to being charged with assault.
Simple assault is a misdemeanor in California, with the possible penalties including a fine of up t o $1,000 and up to 6 months in county jail. These penalties are standard regarding most California misdemeanors. However, depending on the circumstances of the case, it’s possible that other penalties or court orders could be involved.