SOUTH GATE : Candidate Attacked While Posting Campaign Signs
South Gate City Council candidate Billie Martinez was attacked by three young men wielding sticks early Saturday while posting campaign signs along Long Beach Boulevard.
The attack was not politically motivated, South Gate police officials said. It is being investigated as a gang-related incident and has been referred to the Metro Gang Task Force, a regional law enforcement group.
Martinez was stapling a campaign poster to a fence on Long Beach Boulevard near Liberty Street between 1:30 and 3 a.m. when three young men emerged from an older model, dark blue or black BMW, according to Martinez and police reports.
The men came up behind Martinez and struck him on the head with a stick, then beat and kick him. Martinez said he knocked one man to the ground during the scuffle. The council candidate said the attacker got up and pointed a gun.
“As soon as I saw a gun barrel, I started running,” Martinez said.
The attackers pursued Martinez for a short distance until he encountered a police patrol car and reported the assault. Martinez suffered a gash in the head and bruises but was not hospitalized.
Police said gang slogans were yelled during the assault and that the attackers appeared to belong to a group from outside of South Gate.
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