Good Samaritans fight off attempted carjacker in San Diego

CITY HEIGHTS, SAN DIEGO (KABC) -- A scared little girl screams as a group of men fight to keep 21-year-old Ismael Hernandez from taking off with her and her mother in a red van.

One man grabs Hernandez's face from behind, while another pulls him out of the car.

And then the beat down begins.

That was the scene when a group of bystanders leaped into action at about 4 p.m. Sunday at an Appletree Market parking lot in the 4400 block of University Avenue in the San Diego area.

"They were screaming, 'Don't take me. No. Don't do it,'" said Ivan Guzman, Hernandez's next door neighbor.

One man stomped on Hernandez's hand as blood dripped from his face to the street. Even when Hernandez curled up in the fetal position, someone popped him in the back of the head.

When Hernandez tried to look up, he took another blow.

An officer showed up and ordered Hernandez to the ground. When he doesn't comply, the officer makes him.

Guzman said he saw Hernandez drinking shortly before the incident.

"I've never seen him like that before. That aggressive," Guzman said.

Hernandez had been struggling with alcohol and drugs and was recently released from rehab, his brother Elais Velasquez told KGTV.

Neither the mother nor daughter were harmed.

Aaron Leaf, who shot the video of the incident, said he was glad to see Good Samaritans step up.

"It's great that people will stand up for each other. I know that won't happen in a lot of other neighborhoods," Leaf said.

Hernandez was booked on charges, including attempted kidnapping, carjacking and auto theft.

KGTV contributed to this report.