Julio Cesar Lopez Zavala, 23, is set to appear at 8:30 a.m. in Department H at the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 E. Walnut St., according to the court calendar. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony assault.
The charges stem from an Aug. 16 attack in a stadium seating area in which Zavala allegedly beat Arizona resident Shelby Lynn Elston unconscious after her fiancé accidentally spilled a drink on him, according to the Pasadena Police Department. Police said the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m.
Viral video captured the assault and circulated widely on social media. The footage reportedly showed Zavala exchanging words with Elston before allegedly striking her repeatedly as bystanders tried to intervene.
Elston reportedly stopped breathing and required CPR from her fiancé, Cain Webb, according to her attorney, Andrew Talebi of West Coast Trial Lawyers. Pasadena Fire Department paramedics treated her at the scene, though she was not hospitalized. Webb and a third victim were also injured.
Pasadena police arrested Zavala on Aug. 21 in Hawthorne after detectives used video footage and numerous public tips to identify him. He appeared in court Aug. 25 and pleaded not guilty. A judge ruled he did not pose a threat to public safety and released him on his own recognizance with an ankle monitor.
Elston and Webb filed a civil lawsuit in early October in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the Rose Bowl Operating Company and Zavala, alleging the venue “negligently managed, administered, and provided security services.” The suit was dismissed without prejudice on Nov. 21.
Rüfüs Du Sol said in a statement they were “devastated” by the attack.
Tuesday’s hearing will set the date for the preliminary hearing, at which a judge will determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial.
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