The annual Sunland-Tujunga Fourth of July parade had its share of surprises this evening, including Danny Trejo, star of tough guy roles in Con Air and Machete, getting into a fight after taking a water balloon hit. The 80-year-old actor, who rode through the parade seated in a vintage roadster, ended up on the pavement after a brief tussle.
The parade went along without incident until one of the bystanders threw a water balloon onto Trejo’s vehicle. The balloon splashed on top of Trejo’s vehicle’s hood, prompting Trejo to exit his vehicle and move toward the crowd.
“Danny was like everybody else enjoying the parade, And out of nowhere—bam!–a water balloon splatters on his ride.”
Parade witness Stanley Herrarte stated.
Trejo, not deterred by taking on challenges, approached what he had presumed to be the group of individuals behind it. It didn’t take much after that, though, as Trejo had thrown a punch at one of the men. The man had retaliated by punching Trejo, hitting him off balance, and making him stumble.
Video footage also showed Trejo falling on the ground. When bystanders ran up to try to break up the fight, things escalated out of control. Someone else got into it, punching, and a larger melee followed. At one point, Trejo had picked up a fold-up chair and thrown it before people were finally able to restore order.
Trejo spoke to reporters after the dust had settled and characterized his feelings. He termed the act ” childish” and its perpetrators “cowards.”
“I hate bullies, That’s what this is. I have no idea if these people threw that balloon or anything, but no way that was happening.”
Trejo declared of TMZ.
Trejo also reported that he heard somebody shout that water is acid, triggering him to act on impulse.
“I’ve spent my entire life defending my friends,”
He stated.
Despite the battle, no arrests were made. The police were called after individuals had fled, and Trejo had refused to press charges. The witnesses said that water balloons are thrown along parade routes routinely, but only up into the sky—and never on nice cars or celebrities.
Many in Sun-Tujanga have come out supporting Trejo, issuing apologies on behalf of what had happened by a minority of people. The parade officials condemned what occurred, saying, “We do not approve of this disrespect. We intend to celebrate coming together, and we regret that this stole that moment.”
Some believe that there were racial motivations behind the attack. Trejo’s friend, Mario Castillo, rode behind him on the lowrider and said that they were targeted based on their Latino heritage.
Trejo echoed similar sentiments, expressing disappointment that some attitudes from the past still linger.
“It’s sad that people from the ‘50s and ‘60s still feel the same way,”
He said.
Despite the shock fight, Trejo is in good spirits. He assured fans that everything was okay and that he had no plans to let this incident deter him from participating in future activities.
Trejo, who is well known on- and off-screen as a rough-around-the-edges kind of guy, demonstrated once again that he’s no wimp—especially when an old-fashioned water balloon battle is on the agenda.
