The brawl involving actor Danny Trejo that broke out during a Fourth of July parade in Los Angeles is being investigated as a hate crime after the Hollywood star claimed he and his friend were targeted because of their race.
Los Angeles Police sources told TMZ a battery/hate crimes report has been filed to investigate the incident, which unfolded last Thursday after a water balloon was thrown at the 80-year-old “Machete” star and his buddy Mario Castillo as they rode through the procession in classic, baby blue convertible.
By the time cops arrived to break up the fight, most onlookers had dispersed or didn’t want to file a complaint. Still, the full violent dispute was captured on video shared online, giving cops enough to launch an investigation, according to the outlet.
Trejo previously told TMZ he heard someone yell that the balloon contained “acid,” causing him to hop out of the car and confront a group of people on the sidewalk.
Video of the chaotic scene shows the alleged suspect throwing a punch at Trejo as the two grabbed at each other, causing the actor to fall backward onto the street.
Trejo and Castillo claimed they were singled out because they are Mexican, especially since no one else was struck with water balloons during the parade.
“It was targeted, because there was no one else being it by balloons in front of us or behind us,” Castillo said last week. “You know it was just at our lowrider.”
“Come on, you got a classic lowrider in a parade, that is the last thing you want getting water, or anything in it,” he added.
About a dozen people were gathered around the classic car to greet the iconic actor when the paradegoer allegedly threw the water balloon.
Trejo also told TMZ he only reacted because someone had grabbed him first.
Several parade-goers had to step in to break up the skirmish, and footage of the aftermath showed Castillo bleeding from the eye as Trejo was being held back.
The actor’s friend said he suffered a bruised right eye and red swollen arms after people stomped on them as they were holding him down.
No one was arrested at the parade following the fight.
Trejo previously told TMZ that the water balloon being chucked at his Corvette was “childish” and that people who threw it at him were “cowards.”
The outlet reported that those accused of throwing the balloons were around 30 years old.
The 80-year-old actor said he was not hurt during the fight.
Police told TMZ that the case will be forwarded to prosecutors if their investigation finds that hate crime laws were violated.