Video caught brutal assault at Rüfüs Du Sol show at Rose Bowl. Suspect, 23, arrested
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After a video went viral capturing a man repeatedly punching a female concertgoer at a sold-out show at the Rose Bowl, the Pasadena Police Department announced Thursday that it had made an arrest.
Julio Cesar Lopez Zavala, 23, was arrested in Hawthorne on suspicion of assaulting a woman during the Rüfüs Du Sol show, police said.
Officers received a call regarding an assault in the seating area of the stadium around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Video shared by music festival news source Festive Owl showed a man swinging at a woman in the stands while people yelled at him to stop and attempted to physically restrain him.
“The investigation revealed that three victims were assaulted to varying degrees by a male suspect who reportedly became agitated after a drink was spilled,” the Pasadena Police Department said in a statement.
Police said that video footage and numerous tips from the public helped them identify Zavala. His case has been submitted to the L.A. County district attorney’s office for filing consideration.
Festive Owl published a video of the attack on Monday along with a message from the female victim asking for the public’s help in identifying the man. She said the man became erratic and angry after a drink was spilled, insisting it was intentional despite the friend group’s attempts to apologize.
“This man punched me in the face, knocking me out and causing significant bleeding, while he continued attacking our group,” she wrote. “Another friend tried to protect us, but the attacker fled into the crowd.”
In a pinned update in the comments section of the post, the victim later wrote that the person who attacked her had been identified, that criminal charges would be filed and that she also intended on filing a civil suit.
The Australian band blending EDM with live musicianship heads to the Rose Bowl this Saturday, capping off the North American leg of their 2025 tour in support of new album ‘Inhale / Exhale.’
“I’m going to make this man pay for what he did to me and my friends,” she wrote. “Thank you to everyone who reached out to me.”
Rüfüs Du Sol, a three-piece electronic dance music group from Australia, acknowledged the attack in a statement on social media, saying they were heartbroken by the act of violence and encouraging anyone with information to contact the Pasadena Police Department.
In addition to the assault, the concert drew criticism from some attendees for having excessively long entry lines, being overcrowded inside and feeling like an unsafe environment.
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