SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Police in California were looking for a Santa Barbara beachgoer accused of battering a Trump supporter Saturday who was seen alongside a bikini-clad woman carrying a “Dump Trump” sign.
The shirtless man was reportedly harassing “numerous citizens on the beach and passing motorists” before attacking the victim and swiping his red hat and American flag, police said.
It happened during a pro-Trump auto parade but it was unclear if the victim was part of it, KCBS-TV of Los Angeles reported.
Video of the altercation shows the suspect making rude gestures to passing cars. At one point, he takes a flag and hat from the victim, tossing the flag on the ground and putting the hat on his head. The victim appears to confront him in the street. The video shows the victim shoved down in the street, and he falls in front of an idling car, Fox News reported.
The suspect also can be seen tossing the American flag on the ground more than once.
Police in California were on the hunt for a Santa Barbara beachgoer accused of battering a Trump supporter Saturday who was seen alongside a bikini-clad woman carrying a sign reading “Dump Trump.” (Santa Barbara Police Department)
When an officer arrives at the scene, the video shows the suspect running off down the beach.
Police said officers arrived within minutes of the suspect reportedly injuring the victim on a waterfront boulevard near beach volleyball courts on Oct. 31. But the suspect made his barefoot escape by running off in the sand.
The shirtless man had allegedly harassed “numerous citizens on the beach and passing motorists” before attacking the victim and swiping his red hat and American flag, police said. (Santa Barbara Police Department)
Authorities described him as a White male in his 30s, about 6 feet tall with short brown hair, light eyes and tattoos on both arms. He was seen with a White woman believed to be between 25 and 30 with blonde hair.
The incident came just days before Election Day – and as businesses nationwide have boarded up their windows in anticipation of unrest after the polls close.
