SIMI VALLEY — Outrage and calls for justice continue to roil Simi Valley after cellphone footage captured a brutal assault on Michael Robinson, an 18-year-old Black teen, outside Regal Cinemas on Aug. 1. The video shows Robinson chased, beaten and targeted with racial slurs by a group of white teenagers, fueling demands for hate crime charges and sparking a heated debate about racial violence and accountability in Ventura County.
According to police, Robinson and a white friend were confronted around 11 p.m. in the theater parking lot, where the attackers reportedly slammed Robinson onto a car hood, shoved his head into a trash can, and struck him repeatedly in the back of the head.
Robinson, who sustained a concussion, cuts, bruises, and a chipped tooth, said he feared for his life as the assailants surrounded him and hurled profanities. He told KTTV, “Honestly, I thought I was going to die. Because I know what happens when you get hit on the back of your head. You could have internal bleeding. You could have brain damage.”
Video of the attack quickly went viral, prompting hundreds of Simi Valley residents to pack a recent City Council meeting where speakers called for hate crime charges and a transparent investigation. “He was chased down, jumped and mocked for the color of his skin,” said Robinson’s friend, Jared Jasson, during the meeting. “This wasn’t a fight. It was a hate-driven attack.”
Avery Estelle, president of Simi Valley High School’s Black Student Union, told council members: “Racism is ever present and especially present in the town of Simi Valley. When we ignore or excuse this kind of behavior, we’re sending a message that racism is allowed to exist in our community.”
Four white teenagers were arrested and cited for misdemeanor battery under Ventura County’s juvenile procedures before being released to their parents.
One of those teens is the son of a Simi Valley police officer, though officials say that officer is not part of the investigation. Authorities have withheld the names of the suspects, which has fueled criticism and led some community members to argue the case is being handled with a double standard.
Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts confirmed the attack was “definitely a hate incident,” but said the decision on hate crime charges rests with the Ventura County District Attorney’s office.
As of Aug. 12, prosecutors have not upgraded the charges and the police investigation is ongoing. Robinson’s attorney, Jamal Tooson, insists the racial slurs on camera make it “crystal clear” that the assault was racially motivated and deserving of hate crime prosecution.
Despite the trauma, Robinson says he forgives those involved — but believes they must be held accountable. “I don’t hate those kids. I pity them,” he said. “What they just did was sick, it was evil, and it was not right. But there are consequences to your actions.”
