August 11, 2025
Michael Robinson said of the incident, “Honestly, I thought I was going to die.”
A violent attack on an 18-year-old Black teenager named Michael Robinson in Simi Valley, California, has prompted community outrage and demands for hate crime charges after cellphone footage showed several white teens chasing and beating him while shouting racial slurs.
The assault occurred around 11 p.m. on Aug. 1 outside a Regal Cinemas theater. Police identified the victim as Michael Robinson, along with an 18-year-old white teen who was also targeted.
In the viral video, Robinson is surrounded, punched, and kicked before fleeing through the parking lot. At one point, he attempted to defend himself with a chair as the group continued hurling racial slurs at him.
“They end up pushing my head into a trash can, and they start hitting me in the back of my head,” Robinson told Fox 11’s Gina Silva.
“Honestly, I thought I was going to die. Because I know what happens when you get hit on the back of your head. You could have internal bleeding. You could have brain damage.”
Robinson suffered a concussion, bruises, cuts, and a chipped tooth. He stated he didn’t know the attackers, though they had past issues with his friend.
Police later arrested four teens, charging them with battery before releasing them to their parents. According to Fox 11 reports, one suspect is the son of a Simi Valley police officer, and his father will not be involved in the investigation.
“The identified suspects are all juveniles,” the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement. “The four juveniles have been contacted and were arrested for battery. This investigation is continuing and will be presented to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Additional charges may be filed.”
Brittany Martin, Robinson’s guardian, condemned the assault: “He was hunted down, and it was very disgusting. This is not the first time that these kids have actually done this.” She claimed the same group has also targeted other Black and brown teens.
Robinson, despite the attack, said, “I don’t hate those kids… I pity them… what they just did was… sick, it was evil, and it was not right.”
At a city council meeting, residents urged prosecutors to treat the case as a hate crime. “This wasn’t a fight. It was a hate-driven attack,” said Robinson’s friend, Jared Jasson. His attorney, Jamal Tooson, agreed: “It is crystal clear what transpired.”
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