A local man was severely injured in the parking lot near Sacred
Heart Catholic Church on Sunday evening when he was attacked by a
group of gang members, police said.
Renato Mejia, 25, of Hollister, was taken by helicopter to a
hospital in Modesto where he was being treated for severe head
injuries and was listed in serious condition, the Hollister Police
Department said.
A local man was severely injured in the parking lot near Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Sunday evening when he was attacked by a group of gang members, police said.
Renato Mejia, 25, of Hollister, was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Modesto where he was being treated for severe head injuries and was listed in serious condition, the Hollister Police Department said.
The 6:30 p.m. attack happened as Mejia was walking through the parking lot near the church on the 600 block of College Street when he was confronted by a group of five or six gang members, investigators said.
The suspects beat on Mejia until he was laying on the ground and then took off running, police said.
One member of the gang stopped and ran back to the already badly beaten Mejia and started kicking him in the head repeatedly, investigators said.
Although the attack happened in the parking lot near the church, it was not related with the Mexican Independence Day celebration that was held on the grounds earlier Sunday.
Investigators said the celebration had already ended and most of the people in attendance had left.
Police said they will not speculate on whether Mejia attended the event or not.
After the attack, Mejia was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital where his condition was stabilized before being taken by Lifeflight to Modesto.
Detectives said the initial part of their investigation was stymied because no one near the church or school grounds could remember seeing or knowing anything about the attack.
Police said without the public’s help, they will have to rely on Mejia to identify his attackers.
Anyone who has any information about the attack or the suspects is asked to call Detective Rudy Rodriguez with the Hollister Police Department at 636-4330.
