A 25-year-old man is facing assault charges after a brawl in the general-admission pit at a YFN Lucci concert at Freeman Coliseum left one man unconscious and two members of a family injured. The fight broke out during the Dec. 26 show, and the Rivera family says they rushed the injured men to the hospital. Authorities say several people were involved and the case is still under investigation.
First arrest in crowded pit fight
Bexar County court records identify the suspect as Arthur Higa Jr., who is charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury. Deputies obtained a warrant and arrested him earlier this week, according to KSAT. Prosecutors have not released a possible motive, and court filings indicate Higa is the first of several people investigators have been looking for in connection with the fight.
Family says father was knocked out, brother swarmed
Karolina Rivera told KSAT, "My dad was knocked unconscious, and my brother was still getting assaulted by the nine other men." The family says they rushed both men to a hospital after the attack and that they are now recovering.
Freeman Coliseum officials told reporters that 51 security personnel were on duty for the show, including 13 Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputies, two fire marshals and 36 private security staff. The venue said 16 of those security workers were assigned to the general-admission pit area and that its own security video could not be used because the lighting in the area was too low to clearly capture what happened, according to KSAT.
Big pit show on the East Side
The concert was listed as a Dec. 26 performance on the Freeman Coliseum event calendar, described as a large general-admission pit show at the East Side arena, per the Freeman Coliseum event listing. That listing confirms the date and notes that the venue regularly hosts similar standing-room pit events at its E. Houston Street location.
Fan videos and reviews under the microscope
Concertgoers have posted reviews and clips from the night across the internet. One concert review on Songkick mentions that "a fight broke out in the crowd," and other social posts show photos and short videos from inside the pit.
Deputies are now combing through that fan-recorded footage as they work to identify additional suspects and piece together a more complete timeline of the assault.
Legal note
Under Texas law, an offense defined as "assault causing bodily injury" is generally a Class A misdemeanor, which can carry up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Certain circumstances can elevate the offense to a felony under Texas statutes. Anyone charged in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, and the ultimate classification and potential penalties will depend on how prosecutors file the charges and what evidence is presented at trial, according to Texas Penal Code §22.01 as published by Justia.
The Rivera family is asking the public to help identify others involved in the attack. Officials say tips and attendee videos have been useful in similar investigations and are urging anyone with information to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
