Motive sought in Angel Stadium parking lot attack on ex-LAPD officer

Anaheim police said Monday they are trying to determine what prompted an attack on a former LAPD officer in the parking lot of Angel Stadium after Friday’s playoff game.

The 43-year-old man’s name has not been released by authorities, but Los Angeles police officials confirmed Monday that he left the department in 2012. The LAPD declined to comment further.

KTLA, citing neighbors of the victim, identified him as Alex Arredondo.

The victim’s condition was upgraded from critical to serious but stable, Anahem police Lt. Bob Dunn said Monday.

Dunn said investigators had spoken to a few witnesses to the attack, including a relative who was with the victim, but said the motive remained unclear. Dunn said there was no initial indication that the assault stemmed from team rivalries.

“There’s no information so far in our investigation that says this started inside and continued outside,” Dunn said. “The almost direct quote from the relative was: ‘I have no idea how this happened.’”

The beating occurred about 10:30 p.m. Friday, after the Kansas City Royals defeated the Angels, 4-1. A witness flagged down an Anaheim police officer and paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital.

The suspects were described as three men, but Dunn said police had no further information.

Dunn said investigators would continue to explore any and all motives for the attack. Witnesses or anyone else with information were asked to call Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS.

The attack wasn’t the first after an Angels game. On opening day in 2009, a Buena Park man died after a fight in the right-field pavilion during the game. Police said Brian Powers, 27, was fighting with another man in a stairwell when he was punched in the head, fell and hit his head on a concrete step.

Two years later, San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow suffered a beating in the Dodger Stadium parking lot that left the 45-year-old paramedic with a severe brain injury. Two men were convicted earlier this year in that assault. A civil jury also awarded Stow nearly $18 million after finding the Dodgers shared responsibility for the attack.

Anaheim police deployed increased patrols Friday, which is routine for playoff games, Dunn said.

“We take any incident that happens in our venues or near our venues very seriously,” he said.

Tim Mead, the vice president of communications for the Angels, said the organization was cooperating with Anaheim police and would continue to do so. The team hoped for a “speedy and complete recovery for the individual involved,” he said.

Team officials constantly evaluate stadium security “every game, whether we have an incident or not,” Mead added.

“It’s one of our focal points, our fan experience, and we take a great deal of time and effort to provide the best environment possible,” he said.

Follow @katemather for more crime news from across Southern California.