Group attacks and abuses 15-year-old who was eating a burger in South Los Angeles.

Jason Rios just wanted a burger.

The 15-year-old from Watts was having dinner with a friend on an outdoor patio at Freedom Plaza on Century Boulevard on Tuesday when, without warning, three boys attacked Jason and his friend from behind, beating them as they ran for cover.

According to Humberto Rios, Jason’s older brother, no one intervened. No security guards were present as Jason fell to the ground, shielding his head with his arms as his attackers kicked and punched. According to the family, the attackers appeared to have singled out the boys and not tried to rob them.

“We don’t believe he said anything to these other people before they attacked him,” Humberto Rios said.

The straight-A student at Simon Tech High School underwent eight hours of emergency surgery to stop bleeding in his brain after the attack. His friend was also hospitalized. On Wednesday, police arrested a teenager on suspicion of attempted murder; Two other suspects remain at large, Los Angeles police said in a news release.

“There is no explanation as to why this happened,” said Jason’s older sister, Nayeli Rios. “Jason never goes out. We always make sure to drive him to and from school. He just stays home and plays video games like Fortnite.”

Jason turned 15 on May 10, a few days before the attack. He asked his mother to let him take him on a typical teenage outing – eating burgers with a friend. His family relented and told him to make sure he had his phone on, Nayeli Rios said.

On Monday, Jason and his friend ate burgers on the outdoor patio at Habit Burger Grill. Like a typical teenager, Jason came home and played video games without dwelling on his dinner. He told his family it was uneventful.

On Tuesday, Jason went back to the same outdoor patio with his friend. They were attacked shortly before 7 p.m. The attackers repeatedly punched and kicked Jason in the head. He fell but was able to get up and run away, Humberto Rios said.

Humberto Rios then described what happened next.

The teen stayed at Freedom Plaza and ran to a nearby Panda Express, where he called his mother in a panic. She could tell her son had been attacked, but she couldn’t see much else because his speech was slurred. .

“She couldn’t understand him. Only half of his words came out of his mouth,” Humberto Rios said.

She drove to Panda Express but saw nothing unusual: no ambulances, no police vehicles.

She walked through the restaurant and found her son lying on a patio bench. He looked up but couldn’t say anything.

Freedom Plaza’s property management company did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

The family took Jason to MLK Community Hospital in Willowbrook. However, medical staff did not believe Jason had been attacked or did not seem to notice that the boy was vomiting blood, said his sister Nayeli Rios.

“A doctor asked Jason if he was drunk,” she said. “They didn’t seem to believe he was attacked and hit in the head.”

According to his family, Jason couldn’t keep his eyes open and was shaking as he waited for medical attention.

MLK Community Hospital did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Rios family’s experience, but it is clear that Jason was eventually able to have a CT scan of his brain. Doctors found bleeding in his brain, Nayeli Rios said. He was transferred to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance and admitted for emergency surgery. Humberto Rios said Jason was in surgery for nearly eight hours and came out around 6 a.m. Wednesday with a tube in his throat.

Nayeli Rios saw that her brother’s shaggy hair had been shaved for the operation and he could only see out of one eye due to swelling. Doctors removed the tube from his mouth and tapered off his sedatives Thursday morning, Humberto Rios said. Half awake, Jason’s words came out garbled or too quiet for anyone to hear. His family could only hold his hand.

On Friday, he underwent a second operation, Nayeli Rios said. Jason’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his medical costs.