Badger
08-19-2002, 06:30 AM
Judo Club Members Beat Up Carjacker
Mon Aug 19, 7:47 AM ET
By KATE BERRY, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Florida judo club members beat and doused an alleged carjacker with gasoline then handed over the
grimacing, moaning 20-year-old to police officers.
Tyrone Jermaine Hogan, of Los Angeles, held his ribs Sunday and winced in pain as TV news crews recorded his arrest.
"The boys are punching him in the face and I wanted to go around for a choke, to choke him out, but I didn't want to risk
getting punched in the head, so I started pounding him from the back," said Christina Baldacci, a Florida International
University judo club member.
The Florida judo club members weren't Hogan's first alleged victims.
At 1:30 p.m., Hogan allegedly carjacked a couple, punching the driver, in the face, pulling him out of his Nissan and driving
away with his wife in the passenger seat, said police Sgt. Karlene Gibson.
Hogan allegedly tried to steal the woman's purse. Failing, he shoved the woman out of the car. Witnesses followed him but
lost sight of him.
Hogan reappeared about six blocks away at a Hollywood gas station.
Meanwhile, the athletes, who were in town to teach a self-defense class, had taken a tour of Hollywood just before stopping
for gas on their way to Los Angeles International Airport to return home.
One of the student athletes told police Hogan began harassing another couple before making eye contact with him.
Hogan then asked a team member for money and reached into their rented minivan to try and steal the car keys.
But the match was a mismatch.
"We had this guy like a pretzel on the ground," said Nestor Bustillo, the team's judo instructor.
During the scuffle that broke out between Hogan and a half-dozen team members, the nozzle of a gasoline pump broke off,
making the situation dangerous, Bustillo said.
"We were wrestling around, there was gas pumping out and we were trying to subdue this guy," he said.
Hogan was arrested for investigation of felony carjacking, kidnapping and robbery, said Sgt. Allen Hamilton. He was held in
lieu of $1.2 million bail.
Some of the judo club members who were doused with gasoline during the scuffle took showers at the LAPD ( news - web
sites)'s Hollywood station before the club caught a flight to Miami.
Mon Aug 19, 7:47 AM ET
By KATE BERRY, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Florida judo club members beat and doused an alleged carjacker with gasoline then handed over the
grimacing, moaning 20-year-old to police officers.
Tyrone Jermaine Hogan, of Los Angeles, held his ribs Sunday and winced in pain as TV news crews recorded his arrest.
"The boys are punching him in the face and I wanted to go around for a choke, to choke him out, but I didn't want to risk
getting punched in the head, so I started pounding him from the back," said Christina Baldacci, a Florida International
University judo club member.
The Florida judo club members weren't Hogan's first alleged victims.
At 1:30 p.m., Hogan allegedly carjacked a couple, punching the driver, in the face, pulling him out of his Nissan and driving
away with his wife in the passenger seat, said police Sgt. Karlene Gibson.
Hogan allegedly tried to steal the woman's purse. Failing, he shoved the woman out of the car. Witnesses followed him but
lost sight of him.
Hogan reappeared about six blocks away at a Hollywood gas station.
Meanwhile, the athletes, who were in town to teach a self-defense class, had taken a tour of Hollywood just before stopping
for gas on their way to Los Angeles International Airport to return home.
One of the student athletes told police Hogan began harassing another couple before making eye contact with him.
Hogan then asked a team member for money and reached into their rented minivan to try and steal the car keys.
But the match was a mismatch.
"We had this guy like a pretzel on the ground," said Nestor Bustillo, the team's judo instructor.
During the scuffle that broke out between Hogan and a half-dozen team members, the nozzle of a gasoline pump broke off,
making the situation dangerous, Bustillo said.
"We were wrestling around, there was gas pumping out and we were trying to subdue this guy," he said.
Hogan was arrested for investigation of felony carjacking, kidnapping and robbery, said Sgt. Allen Hamilton. He was held in
lieu of $1.2 million bail.
Some of the judo club members who were doused with gasoline during the scuffle took showers at the LAPD ( news - web
sites)'s Hollywood station before the club caught a flight to Miami.