Police arrest teens for brutal attack in Livingston

LIVINGSTON, Calif. (KFSN) -- The random attack happened at the Livingston High School campus.

18-year-old Christian Bracamontes and a 17-year-old male teen were arrested after Livingston police say they brutally beat an older victim and stole his belongings.

"The way this played out, it wasn't just an attack to take the money. They hurt him really bad. There was no need to go to that level. So yeah, that's not common at all," said Sgt. Ray Fong.

Fong says the victim is over 60 years old.

He says the incident happened around 6:30 p.m. last Monday when the victim decided to cut through the campus while on a walk.

Fong says the two suspects ran up to the victim, then beat and robbed him.

Video from campus surveillance cameras helped officers identify the suspects.

School Resource Officer Zeus Baldevia says it was a week later when he saw the teen suspect at Memorial Park, just steps from the scene of the crime.

"I was standing in the parking lot and he was, at the time we made eye contact, standing over there by the concrete," Baldevia said.

After Baldevia called it in, officers were able to catch and arrest the suspect.

A day later, officers served a warrant at Bracamontes' home and arrested him.

"They found several items from the victim there. He subsequently admitted to his involvement in the event," Sgt. Fong said.

Officers say it's not unusual for people to walk through the campus, and it could've happened to anyone.

"A lot of people cut through the high school diagonally to cut off the amount of time it takes to walk through. There's not much fencing to restrict movement, with few exceptions," Fong said.

"It's an open campus at this time. They are working on putting up boundaries, a fence. There are outsiders that cut through the campus," Officer Baldevia said.

Police say both the suspects were arrested for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and false imprisonment.

The attack happened after school hours. Police say the last they checked, the the victim was still at a Modesto hospital.

The case will soon be sent to the Merced County District Attorney's office.