Actor Danny Trejo was severely beaten by a parade-goer who threw a water balloon at him during a Fourth of July event.
The 80-year-old Spy Kids star was in ecstasy during the Sunland-Tujunga Independence Day Parade in Los Angeles, where he made a guest appearance.
Trejo was driving a vintage convertible along the parade route when he was hit by a water balloon. He got out to confront the man.
Footage captured by stunned witnesses shows Trejo and the man beating each other wildly, throwing the actor to the ground and leaving his friend with a bloody face.
Actor Danny Trejo was seen in wild footage punching a paradegoer who threw a water balloon at him during a Fourth of July event in Los Angeles
As soon as the 80-year-old man was thrown to the ground, an even bigger fight broke out. During the family party, horrible scenes occurred.
During the fight, a water balloon appeared to have been thrown at Trejo, as several other men joined the fight.
The man who first struck Trejo then punched another person, causing him to fall to the ground.
Two small children were also led away from the convertible as the center of the fight moved to the sidewalk.
Trejo grabbed a folding chair and threw it at another man, after which the fight ended when bystanders broke up the fight.
A woman was seen holding Trejo, an ex-convict who served a decade behind bars in the 1960s, away from the group at the end of the fight.
Trejo was driving by in a convertible when he was hit by a water balloon, prompting him to get out of the car to confront the person who threw the balloon
The fight only broke out when witnesses pulled Trejo away from the others in the fight
A witness told ABC7 that throwing water balloons is a regular part of the Fourth of July celebration in the Los Angeles suburb, but Trejo took issue with the fact that the balloons were aimed at him as a special guest.
“This parade is like an event where you throw water balloons at each other,” said Stanley Herrarte.
“The reason Danny was so angry was because people don’t normally throw water balloons at expensive cars when they pass by.”
Another witness, Arnie Abramiam, told Fox11 Los Angeles that it didn’t appear Trejo intended to provoke violence, and that “it seemed more like a confrontation at first.”
Trejo is an ex-convict who spent ten years behind bars in the 1960s, but turned his life around and became a movie star
“It wasn’t like he went there to hit anyone,” he said.
“But once he got hit, he threw punches.”
Abramiam said he hoped the incident would not deter Trejo from returning to his community, saying he “knows he’s a good person.”
“Thank you for taking the time to come out to our 4th of July parade. On behalf of our community, I apologize…we love you and we appreciate you.”
