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GARDEN GROVE (CNS) - A 15-year-old girl was knocked out by a sucker punch from an opponent during a youth basketball game in Garden Grove, and the victim's mother says the other girl's mom urged her daughter to throw the punch.
The game took place Sunday at the Map Sports Facility, part of the Fall Jamboree Tournament. The incident was captured on video.
``The person in question went down the court and shot a three-pointer, landed, fell backwards into my daughter. As they got up and turned and were walking back down to the other side of the court, her mom says to her, `You need to hit her for that.' And the child in question sucker-punched my daughter,'' Alice Ham told KTLA5, an account she also shared with multiple local media outlets.
Ham is the mother of the girl who was punched. Neither girl is being identified because they are minors. Ham says her daughter was diagnosed with a concussion. She told reporters she has filed a police report with the Garden Grove Police Department.
A police spokesperson told City News Service on Tuesday night that a misdemeanor assault and battery between two juveniles occurred Sunday afternoon at the Map Sports Facility, and an investigation is underway.
The game's referee told NBC4 that the other girl's mother allegedly said to her daughter, ``You better go hit her.''
Gary Thomas, CEO of Avac United -- which organized the tournament -- said the girl who punched Ham's daughter and her mother have been banned from future games until further notice.
An attorney for the family of the 14-year old girl who threw the punch released the following statement to NBC4:
``It's a very unfortunate incident involving two young minor girls. We are doing our best to investigate everything and anything that happened. Once we acquire all the necessary information we will make a statement.''