LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Two men surrendered to police Wednesday night in connection to a freeway road rage beating that was caught on video. Then the victim of the two-on-one fight was arrested Thursday morning for an earlier incident.


Patterson was arrested in Altadena for a misdemeanor warrant out of Long Beach for failure to appear in court. He was being held in at the sheriff's station in La Crescenta. He was briefly hospitalized for an unknown reason, then returned to the sheriff's station.

Edras Ramirez, 27, and David Mendez, 21, surrendered to authorities at a California Highway Patrol office in Hollywood Wednesday night.

"Approximately 7:30 last evening two suspects turned themselves in," said CHP Officer Chris Baldonado. "Our investigators had probable cause to be able to book them on assault charges."

The traffic dispute that turned into a fistfight happened June 12 on the 5 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.

Video shot from a smartphone by a witness showed two men beating 50-year-old Jerry Patterson. The footage starts with Patterson and three men arguing outside their cars on the northbound side of the freeway near Seventh Street. Patterson and one of the men then raised their fists and started swinging at each other.

Patterson was holding his own until one of the other men joined the fight. It was two against one and Patterson was quickly pulled to the ground. He was dragged and then kicked several times in the head, then left lying on the freeway as the other car pulled away.

Patterson refused medical attention and left the scene shortly after the altercation, officials said. Despite suffering a concussion, Patterson told Eyewitness News that he does not want to press charges, saying, "Legally, I'm done with it. I've moved on."

Authorities say that doesn't matter.

"Investigators looked through the case thoroughly and had probable cause to actually make the arrest and book the two individuals regardless of if the other individual wants to press charges or not," said Baldonado.

Ramirez and Mendez were held on $60,000 bond at the Twin Towers jail. They are both due in court July 13 for arraignment on charges of felony assault.

Patterson was arrested on May 25 in Long Beach on suspicion of driving under the influence, hit-and-run and battery charges. He missed a court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest on June 6.

Court records show that Patterson was convicted in 2010 for disturbing the police and charged with hitting a police officer.

Patterson has not been charged in the June 12 fight on the freeway.



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