Woman Testifies Two Men Accused of Beating Dodgers Fan 'Sped Out Really Fast' After Assault

The two men who assaulted San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, leaving him with permanent brain damage, dashed to their car moments after a confrontation they had with fans of the Northern California team, a woman testified today.

"They were just out of breath, like hyped up," Ana Maria Davila told a Los Angeles Superior Court jury hearing trial of Stow's negligence lawsuit against former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Los Angeles Dodgers LLC. "They sped out really fast."

Los Angeles police have said Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood were running to their car in parking lot 2 moments after the attack on Stow after the Dodgers' March 31, 2011, opening day game against the Giants.

Davila, who attended the same game, said that about a half-hour after the contest, she saw two men -- who she identified from photos as Norwood and Sanchez -- confront two separate groups of San Francisco Giants supporters near where she parked her car in lot 2.

Davila said she saw a young Giants fan being punched by Sanchez during the first run-in -- in which the Giants fans said they did not want any trouble -- and that Sanchez returned to the area near where their cars were parked, tried to "high-five" her and told her, "... Yeah, that's how we do it."

Davila said she put her hands up to keep from being accidentally hit in the face by Sanchez during his high-five attempt. Regarding the confrontation with the Giants fans, she said she told him, "That was really stupid."

Both Norwood and Sanchez were smoking marijuana and offered her some, as well, she said.

"They were high," she said.

She said she asked Sanchez if he wanted to buy some hair bows that she sells for charity, but he declined.

Davila said she later noticed another group of four men wearing Giants apparel walking by and heard Sanchez yelling obscenities about the Giants at them. The group kept walking and did nothing to antagonize Norwood or Sanchez, she said. Police have identified the men as Stow's group.

According to Davila, Dorene Sanchez -- Sanchez's sister and Norwood's then-fiance -- said the second Giants group was "talking smack" and suddenly her brother and fiance began running toward the men.

"I freaked out and ran behind a truck a couple spaces over," Davila said.

Sanchez and Norwood returned a short time later and told Dorene Sanchez to "start the car," according to Davila, who said she did not witness the attack on Stow.

Davila also said she did not see any security in the area and did not witness anyone in Stow's group raise his hands as if to invite Norwood and Sanchez to confront them, contradicting the account given defense attorneys by another witness who will testify later in the trial.

Dorene Sanchez also testified today, saying she, her brother and Norwood stopped at a liquor store on the way to Dodger Stadium to buy beer. She said the beer was warm despite being placed with a bag of ice and that the three of them only took sips in the Dodger Stadium parking lot before going inside.

"It was hot and humid, it was ugly," the 34-year-old woman said.

Inside the stadium, her sibling and Norwood had several beers each, and by the end of the game, her brother was drunk, she said. She also said her brother used profanity often and had a verbal confrontation in the stands with a Giants fan whose girlfriend became doused with some type of liquid. She said Norwood restrained her brother.

In her account of the confrontation with Stow and his friends in the parking lot, Dorene Sanchez said the plaintiff's group began "talking (expletive)" as they walked by her car, prompting her brother and Norwood to "briskly" walk after them. No one in Stow's gathering acted aggressive, she said.

Norwood and Louie Sanchez soon thereafter "jogged" back to the car and her fiance told her, "Get in the car, babe, drive," she said. Norwood had blood on one thumb, she said.

Dorene Sanchez said she and the others drove to a Chinese restaurant in Monterey Park and had dinner.

Questioned by defense attorney Dana Fox, she said her group passed through security to get inside the stadium and that their tickets were scanned.

Stow's attorneys say the attack on their client could have been prevented with better security.

Sanchez, 31, and Norwood, 33, pleaded guilty in January to carrying out the attack on Stow, a paramedic and father of two. Sanchez was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Norwood was sentenced to four years. They are also both facing a federal weapons charge that could earn them up to 10 years in a federal lockup.

Stow, 45, and McCourt were not present in court today. However, Stow's parents and one sister attended the proceedings.