Man Gets Year in Jail Over Fiesta Broadway Brawl

A convicted car thief was sentenced Tuesday to a maximum one-year term in County Jail for resisting arrest during a street brawl at last month’s Fiesta Broadway festival in Downtown Los Angeles.

Roger Cortez Acosta, 29, was convicted last week on single counts of resisting arrest and battery on a police officer in the May 1 incident. The Rialto man, convicted of grand theft auto in 1992, attacked a Los Angeles Police Department officer on foot patrol near 1st Street and Broadway that afternoon.

The officer and his partner were trying to direct panicked people out of the area after bursts of gunfire were heard. Witnesses said gang members and others in the crowd hurled rocks, bottles, beer kegs and other items at the officers.

Deputy City Atty. Michael Schwarts said Acosta hit the 33-year-old officer in the back with his fist. The officer and his partner quickly caught Acosta, who had tried to run away.