Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California man violently beaten by mob of teen bicyclists speaks out
A man recalls the terrifying moment he was violently beaten by a group of teen bicyclists in Los Angeles.
The incident happened on Feb. 22 as the victim, Maurice Benaim, 28, was driving near San Vicente Boulevard and McCarthy Vista in the Carthay neighborhood near Beverly Hills around 5 p.m.
That’s when he spotted a group of 20-30 juvenile bicyclists performing stunts and blocking traffic.
When he honked his horn, the crowd appeared agitated. Someone in the group approached his vehicle and broke his tail light while repeatedly kicking his car. That’s when Benaim decided to step out of his vehicle.
Cell phone video of the incident showed the mob of teens quickly descending on Benaim as they knocked him to the ground and began brutally punching, kicking and beating him.
One of the teen suspects jumped on top of Benaim’s car and began kicking at the windshield, eventually shattering it.
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The victim, Maurice Benaim, 28, was left with lacerations, bruises, head trauma, extensive pain, potentially fractured ribs and emotional trauma after the assault. (KTLA) -
Cell phone video captured the moment Maurice Benaim was surrounded by a group of teen bicyclists and violently beaten in a mob-style attack near Beverly Hills on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson) -
Cell phone video captured the moment Maurice Benaim was surrounded by a group of teen bicyclists and violently beaten in a mob-style attack near Beverly Hills on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson) -
The victim was left unconscious and lying in the middle of the road after the beating on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson) -
A teen suspect jumped on top of Maurice Benaim’s car and destroyed his vehicle’s windshield on Feb. 22, 2025. (Maurice Benaim) -
Cell phone video captured the moment Maurice Benaim was surrounded by a group of teen bicyclists and violently beaten in a mob-style attack near Beverly Hills on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson) -
Cell phone video captured the moment Maurice Benaim was surrounded by a group of teen bicyclists and violently beaten in a mob-style attack near Beverly Hills on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson) -
Cell phone video captured the moment Maurice Benaim was surrounded by a group of teen bicyclists and violently beaten in a mob-style attack near Beverly Hills on Feb. 22, 2025. (Tyler Johnson)
“They kind of surrounded me and I’m just trying to stay conscious,” Benaim recalled. “There was a point where I thought, ‘Okay, this is happening. There’s not much I can do. I’m clearly outnumbered.’ I was just trying to protect my face and maybe cause less head trauma.”
Police described the attack as a mob-style beating. As several good Samaritans stepped out of their cars to help the victim, the group of teens fled the scene, leaving Benaim lying unconscious on the road.
Benaim said he was left with lacerations, bruises, head trauma, extensive pain, potentially fractured ribs and emotional trauma.
“It was so frightening to see all of these boys jump on this guy,” said Chantelle Ameli, Benaim’s attorney.
“There was just no reason for any of it, really,” Benaim said.
As the victim recovers, he said he’s thankful for the community of support he’s received from his friends and loved ones.
“We’re being numbed,” said Yasmile Benaim, the victim’s mother. “We’re being numbed to all of this violence.”
She said she hopes the parents of these teenagers consider speaking with their kids about the devastating consequences of violent behavior.
“How would you feel if that was your kid who got hurt the way my son was hurt?” she asked the teens’ parents. “It’s a miracle that it didn’t escalate [even further.]”
On Friday, Los Angeles police confirmed two juvenile suspects were arrested in connection with the assault. The rest of the suspects, who are all likely between 16-18 years old, remain at large.
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Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) -
Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) -
Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) -
Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) -
Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) -
Police are searching for a group of teen suspects, all likely between 16-18 years old, who are wanted in connection with a violent assault on a driver on Feb. 22, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department)
“My heart goes out to the young man who was assaulted and his family, and I’m relieved to hear that he is recovering,” said L.A. City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. “LAPD is actively investigating this incident, and while law enforcement has not indicated they think this was a hate crime, any act of violence like this is unacceptable. I urge anyone with information to come forward to help hold those responsible accountable.”
Anyone with information on the incident or the suspects is urged to call LAPD Wilshire Division Detective Carlos at 213-922-8229. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
A GoFundMe page to help Benaim with medical expenses can be found here.
Authorities discovered millions of dollars worth of counterfeit luxury goods in a downtown Los Angeles bust.
On May 14, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at two locations — a retail store in the 500 Block of South Los Angeles Street and a commercial warehouse in the 500 Block of Main Street.
Inside the warehouse, deputies found a significant amount of counterfeit luxury merchandise. In total, the retail value of the goods was estimated between $5 million and $10 million.
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Authorities discovered a warehouse filled with counterfeit luxury goods worth an estimated $5-$10 million in a downtown Los Angeles bust operation on May 14, 2026. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
Two unidentified suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody.
“This remains an active investigation,” LASD said. “Additional arrests or charges are possible as the case progresses.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LASD’s Major Crimes Bureau’s Tip Line at 562-946-7893.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
At least one person was critically injured in a house fire that erupted in Montebello early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the blaze engulfing a detached unit in the 100 block of South 5th Street near West Whittier Boulevard around 5 a.m.
Flames quickly spread to a nearby electrical pole, blowing a fuse and knocking out power in the area. Sparks could be seen as a loud pop was heard in a Citizen.com video later obtained by KTLA.
At least one person was believed to be in critical condition due to burn injuries, though officials have not released further details.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the fire.
A neighbor told KTLA that three people lived inside the home, including a child.
This is a developing story.
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
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Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA) -
Sky5 was over a multi-vehicle crash involving a city bus in Santa Clarita, Calif. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (KTLA)
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
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