Boy’s jaw broken at party, police say.

Leslie Simmons

MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- A Burbank teenager was recovering Tuesday from

a broken jaw and another was being investigated assault after a fight at

a party, police said.

The fight broke out at 9:35 p.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of Rosita

Avenue at a party where gang members were present, said Burbank Police

Lt. Larry Koch.

The fight, which was investigated by the department’s gang unit, did

not appear to the result of tensions between rival gangs and it was

unclear if the boys involved were gang members, Koch said.

Following the fight, a 16-year-old Burbank boy was cited on suspicion

of assault with a deadly weapon and released to his parents, Koch said.

When authorities responded to the fight, witnesses initially told

police and paramedics that the injured boy, who is 17, had fallen down.

But Koch said it soon became apparent that he had been kicked in the head

during a fight.

“Based on the extent of the injuries he’s suffered -- there’s a shoe

print on his head -- the officers determined that a crime occurred,” Koch

said.

The altercation began when the alleged victim got into an argument

with the suspect’s girlfriend, Koch said. The two boys exchanged words

and then decided to settle their problems outside the house on the front

lawn, he said. When they were outside, the 16-year-old suspect punched

the other boy, knocking him to the ground. The 16-year-old then used his

foot to stomp the other boy’s head, fracturing his jaw with the blow,

police said.

The 17-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital and then transferred

to Kaiser Permanente. He was released Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman

said.

The boys were not identified because they are minors.