SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Two parkgoers were attacked as a large gathering of skateboarders turned into a melee on Wednesday, according to police.
Before William Dorsett, a spray-paint artist, started his work late Wednesday afternoon in Balboa Park, he noticed a large group of skateboarders - more than 100 - gathering near the fountain.
Wednesday was International Go Skateboarding Day.
A commotion drew Dorsett's attention. He took out his pocket video camera and started filming.
Police say two people got into a dispute with a number of skateboarders, as the two were attacked.
“It was like a ‘Lord of the Flies’ kind of situation. It was like, mob rules,” said Dorsett.
Dorsett saw one man encircled three times before park rangers moved in.
“He limps off about 10 steps and then falls face first on the ground,” said Dorsett.
The man, bleeding from the head, was taken to a hospital.
This all unfolded in front of Brian Sanders and his 5-year-old son, after leaving the Fleet Science Center.
“Can't take that back, obviously. He’s only 5. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd see something like that in Balboa Park, in the center of the park,” said Sanders.
Sanders says he also saw mayhem on the edges of the mob.
“I describe it as a mosh pit, people pushing each other … people punching each there, hitting each other with skateboards, chasing each other and hitting someone,” said Sanders.
Dorsett says the Wednesday mob scene is the latest in a string of incidents in the same area.
“We’ve had several. Recently, three skaters jumped this lady who was working down here, an artist. They were drunk,” said Dorsett.
“It felt like I was witnessing the decline of San Diego and Balboa Park in real-time, and I question if we would go back there,” said Sanders. “It's the jewel of San Diego, and we need to feel safe.”
The condition of the injured man is not known. The other victim was not injured. Both are in their 20s.
Police don't have a description of any suspects.
Both parkgoers interviewed in this story question whether park rangers should have broken up the gathering earlier in the day.
ABC 10News reached out to city officials for a comment and are waiting to hear back.
