A father suffered serious head injuries during a brawl that broke out in the queue for a popular ride at Disneyland over the winter break.
The fight occurred last Tuesday afternoon in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure, one of the marquee dark rides at the Anaheim theme park, police and Disneyland officials confirmed.
“A group of people were waiting in line at Indiana Jones when another group cut through the line to catch up with other family members,” Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter told NewsNation local affiliate KTLA.
The confrontation escalated into a roughly 30-second fight between two men, shocking parkgoers, including many children. Witnesses said the man whose family cut into the line brutally beat the other.
“There were several people intervening to stop the guy,” wrote Reddit user ImaginaryBag. “He managed to get some hits in even with people blocking. Then he stepped back a bit so others did too. That’s when he jumped in for one last sucker punch, which drew blood, and then he ran off with his family following.”
Police confirmed the suspect fled Disneyland and remained at large as of Monday morning. Sutter said investigators have strong leads on his identity and believe he is a Southern California resident.
The victim, whose name was not released, was treated by Disneyland’s first aid staff for injuries including a large gash on his face that required stitches.
“He refused to hit back (which took a lot of discipline) because he didn’t want the rest of the family to get kicked out or us blacklisted,” wrote Reddit user Wittwitbarista, who said the victim is her husband.
Despite the ordeal, the family stayed at the park for the rest of the day.
“Hubby had no concussion, stitches, okay honestly and again, Disney Security, nurses and (cast members) were all so magically wonderful,” Wittwitbarista wrote.