7 Arrested in Alleged Racial Attack on Indians

Sheriff’s deputies arrested seven people Wednesday after a group of youths in several cars sprayed four India-born men with what the victims said was an acid-like chemical and shouted racial slurs at them, authorities said.

None of the victims suffered burns and by Wednesday evening, authorities had determined that they had been sprayed with water, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. John Galbraith.

“If you fire acid at someone with a fire extinguisher like that, you’re looking at some serious burns,” said Galbraith, who added that an investigation is ongoing. “There are some missing pieces to the puzzle.”

The four victims told deputies they were standing in front of a business in the 18500 block of Pioneer Boulevard on Tuesday evening when a group of teenage boys drove up and began shouting racial slurs, Galbraith said. The victims, two of them local businessmen, told authorities they were sprayed with a chemical that stung until they washed it off, Galbraith said.

About a half-hour later, 20 teenagers and young adults returned in five cars, hurling more racial insults at the men still standing outside the business, Galbraith said. One suspect brandished a handgun before they took off again, he said.

The victims followed in their car, but when they caught up with the suspects, they were sprayed again, Galbraith said. The four men, ages 35 to 45, then said they stopped chasing the suspects and washed off the substance, Galbraith said.

The names of the three adults and four juveniles, who were arrested on assault charges, were not released.