East LA family asks DA to charge man for McDonald's assault that left woman brain dead

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Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Assault at Boyle Heights McDonald's leaves woman brain dead
A woman is on life support after attempting to help her husband during an attack at a McDonald's in Boyle Heights.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A woman is on life support after attempting to help her husband during an attack at a McDonald's in Boyle Heights.

Surveillance video shows a man, later identified as Charles Green Jr., attacking Jose Rangel at the restaurant drive-thru on March 9.

Rangel's wife, Maria Luna - who family says is partially blind - got out of the car to help her husband.

"As she reached down to try to see if she could feel who was on top or try to pull the man off ... The man bumped her with his body and dropped her. She hit her head. And because of that she had a heart attack," said Veronica Rangel, Maria Luna's stepdaughter.

A few days ago, Maria Luna was brought back to the hospital and put on life support.

The family says Monday night, doctors told them Maria Luna is brain dead.

Her heartbroken family is upset that the suspect who attacked Jose is only facing misdemeanor assault charges.

"They said they couldn't charge the man with anything against her because he didn't purposely push her," Veronica Rangel said. "Even though everything that happened was because of him approaching my father and beating him up."

Victim advocate and former LAPD detective Moses Castillo says "We're asking the DA's office to give this a second or third look or whatever it may be. I really hope they get all the facts, look at the video. Look at the evidence and the fact now we have a dead victim."

We reached out to the L.A. County District Attorney's office, but we've received no response.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for medical costs and, sadly, the funeral as well.