Police in Santa Ana are investigating whether self-defense or an act of aggression prompted a man at a Starbucks to strike another man with a skateboard, killing him.

Officers were first called about 12:30 p.m. to the Starbucks near West MacArthur Boulevard and South Bristol Street, near South Coast Plaza, said Santa Ana police spokesman Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Detectives believe that a man in his 50s man walked into the coffee shop and approached a man in his 20s. At some point, the two got into a verbal and physical fight, with the younger man using a skateboard, Bertagna said.

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After being struck, the older man went into cardiac arrest, Bertagna said. He was later taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.

Two witnesses told KTLA-TV that the older man was bothering store patrons and punching the windows. He later entered the store and approached the younger man.

“He just came abruptly into the store, looked at the kid, and said, ‘Did I stutter?’” witness Jocelyn Martinez told the television station. “He took at step forward towards the kid as if he were going to attack him, and that’s when the kid hit him with the skateboard.”

“He did what anybody, I guess, would do when they feel attacked. They’re going to protect themselves,” Martinez told the station.


The younger man remained at the scene following the incident, and he was being interviewed by detectives at a nearby police station.

“Whether it was self-defense or an act of aggression is under investigation,” Bertagna said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.


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