Water Ballloon Fight Led to Millikan Student's Death

Editor's Note: There is a really fine photo gallery I suggest that's by my college classmate Stephen Carr, with #2, #8 and #10 photos of the Millikan baseball player, and his grieving family and friends.

A water balloon fight was the indirect cause of death of a 15-year-old Millikan High School student and baseball player who was hit by a car in Long Beach, police said today.

Brian Beato of Long Beach was struck by a westbound Honda Civic on Spring Street near Stevely Avenue about 9:30 p.m. Friday. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital about a half-hour later, and could not immediately be identified.

Late Monday afternoon, Lisa Massacani of the Long Beach Police Department said police learned the victim had been in the midst of a water balloon fight with an 18-year-old companion.

``Two pedestrians -- the 18-year-old and the 15-year-old -- were involved in a water balloon fight when they ended up on the center median of Spring Street,'' Massacani said.

``One water balloon hit a passing vehicle going east. That vehicle braked, the 15-year-old panicked and ran across Spring Street, where he was struck by the Honda that was going west,'' Massacani told City News Service.

The 18-year-old also panicked and took off before deciding to contact police investigators and tell them what he had witnessed, she said. The Honda was driven by a 21-year-old Corona woman who was not cited, pending the conclusion of the traffic investigation, Massacani said.

A memorial video posted online shows the teenager playing baseball with the Millikan High School Rams. Anyone who may have witnessed the accident was asked to call Detective Richard Birdsall at (562) 570-7355.

--City News Service reporting