2 Arrested In Baseball Bat Attacks At Oceanside Harbor

OCEANSIDE, CA — Two suspected gang members were arrested this week on suspicion of attacking random passers-by with baseball bats last month along Oceanside Harbor, authorities said.

Police responded to reports of a "violent altercation" involving several suspects around 8:50 p.m. Aug. 17 at 1400 North Harbor Drive, according to the Oceanside Police Department.

According to witnesses, two people wearing bandanas over their faces assaulted several men with baseball bats, Officer Heather Mitchell said in a news release. The suspects also confronted a bystander and tried to take her phone, which she was using to record video of the attacks.

The suspects drove away before police arrived at the scene.

Two victims suffering from head trauma were taken to the hospital. Police later learned about two more victims who were being treated for similar injuries at Tri-City Medical Center.

"Although unrelated to the two other victims, they were assaulted in the same area and manner by the same suspects," Mitchell said.

All of the victims suffered significant injuries, including head lacerations, and one was left with a facial fracture, Mitchell said.

Detectives investigating the assaults arrested Pablo Francisco Gonzalez, 21, of Oceanside and Jorge Luis Perez, 20, of Vista on Tuesday. Both were booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of multiple charges, including assault, conspiracy, gang crimes, probation violations and vandalism. Perez was also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Police have identified and were trying to find three other suspects, Mitchell said. Anyone with information about the attacks was asked to contact the department's Gang Crimes Unit at 760-435-4264.