Giants Fan Severely Beaten Up at Dodger Stadium Shows Signs of Brain Damage

A San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten at Dodger Stadium after last week's opening game shows signs of brain damage and remains in critical condition, a doctor said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, detectives were looking into unconfirmed reports that the same suspects struck other Giants fans minutes before the attack that left Bryan Stow in a coma.

Stow's family took the opportunity to denounce all sporting-event-induced violence:

Stow, a 42-year-old paramedic and father of two from Santa Cruz, remained in critical but guarded condition at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He suffered a severe skull fracture and bad bruising to his brain's frontal lobes, said Dr. Gabriel Zada, a neurosurgeon.

At one point, doctors had to perform a life saving operation. They had to remove the entire left side of his skull to ease pressure on his brain. The pressure is now normal but Stow remains in a coma from his injuries and from sedation to reduce his brain activity, Zada said.

"There is evidence of brain injury and dysfunction," Zada said.

It was too early to make a prognosis but such injuries can affect memory, thinking ability and even personality, Zada said.

"It's going to be a long recovery process," he said.

Stow was in a parking lot heading to a taxi stand after the Dodgers' 2-1 victory over the Giants on March 31 when two shaven-headed young men in Dodgers clothing began taunting and swearing at him and two other fans, who were all wearing Giants gear, police said.

Stow was punched in the back of the head. He fell down, bashing his head on the pavement, and was kicked before the attackers ran off.

They fled in a four-door sedan driven by a woman who had a boy with her, police said.

Composite sketches of the men have been released.

The AP contributed to this report.