California Man Arrested After Sucker Punching Grandfather with Infant in Stroller

In a startling incident that unfolded in the exclusive California neighborhood of Calabasas, a grandfather pushing his 10-month-old grandchild in a stroller became the victim of an unprovoked assault, per the NY Post.

The unsuspecting California grandfather was crossing an intersection when he was abruptly approached by an assailant wearing a backward baseball cap, as depicted in security footage capturing the sudden and random attack around 5:45 PM on Tuesday.

Without any warning, the California man swiftly struck the side of the grandfather's face, causing both the elderly man and the stroller to collapse to the ground.

The California man suspected of the sucker punch attack, later identified as Angel Sanchez Jr., hastily retreated to his silver 2005 Honda Odyssey with Nevada license plates and fled the scene.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department promptly identified the vehicle and apprehended Sanchez around 2:15 PM in Oxnard.

He is also suspected of a separate attack against a boy in the same vicinity.

Sanchez now faces charges of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and was booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station.

Motive for the California Sucker Punch Attacks Remains Unclear

The sheriff's department is actively investigating the motive behind the assaults, emphasizing that although both victims were of Asian-American/Pacific Islander descent, the reasons for the attacks are yet to be determined, according to ABC 7.

The first sucker punch attack occurred shortly before 5 PM in the 4000 block of Lost Springs Road, near Dr. Bahareh Talei's Calabasas home.

Witnesses, including Talei, expressed shock and distress at the seemingly random nature of the assault.

"Seeing him fall to the ground, being sucker punched - he could've died," Talei said. "And then the baby. All of it is upsetting."

Despite the stroller tipping over, authorities confirmed the child's well-being, while the California grandfather suffered head injuries, CBS News noted.

California boxing coach Tyler Cochran disclosed a similar attack on one of his students about an hour earlier, underscoring the concerning trend in the area.

The 14-year-old student recounted being sucker-punched but managed to fight back and escape the assault.

"My student got slammed, and then he started to punch my student in the face," Cochran said. "And then my student fought back. Was able to fight his way free."

Neighbors React to Sucker Punch Incident

The disturbing incident occurred in the 4000 block of Lost Spring Road in Calabasas, California neighborhood frequented by Hollywood elites, including the Kardashians, per the Daily Mail.

Greg Higa, the owner of the home where the assailant parked, shared the footage online, expressing shock and revulsion at the seemingly random act of violence in what is generally considered a safe community.

Residents, like Mary Steele, identified the victim as a "very nice community member" and expressed bewilderment about the motive behind the attack.

The affluent neighborhood, with a median listing home price of $2.4 million as of October 2023, is now grappling with the aftermath of this disturbing assault.

Calabasas, California, despite the incident, remains listed as safer than 35 percent of US neighborhoods, with reported annual violent crimes at 38 and property crimes at 282.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man attacks grandfather pushing stroller, sucker punches him in the face - From FOX 11 Los Angeles