Local News in Brief : Crystal Cove : Man Beaten, Robbed by 3 He Stopped to Aid

A man visiting Orange County from Portland, Ore., was robbed and beaten early Tuesday after he stopped to help three men whose car appeared to have stalled on Coast Highway, authorities said.

The victim, identified as Antoine George Sawan, 27, was not seriously injured, authorities said. The three suspects, believed to be in their 20s, had not been arrested.

Sawan was driving about 3:30 a.m. when he saw the suspects’ car parked along the shoulder of the road near Crystal Cove with its caution lights blinking, Lt. Bob Rivas said. When he stopped to offer assistance, one of the men pulled out a switch blade knife and another was wearing brass knuckles on his hand, Rivas said.

The men took Sawan’s credit card and $700 in cash, Rivas said.

“The man was struck by the guy with brass knuckles and he was kicked a couple of times while he was down,” Rivas said. “They left him there and jumped in their car and took off. There obviously wasn’t anything wrong with their car.”