A California father seeking a few quiet minutes after a grueling day was instead ambushed, kicked in the head, and robbed by two laughing suspects.

The vicious attack happened Friday night at the Creekside Village apartments in San Bernardino, as reported by the New York Post.

Greg Medina, 48, works as a chef and had entered the apartment complex jacuzzi to relax his aching muscles.

He had also recently returned to school and was using the peaceful moment to listen to a class lecture through his earbuds.

California dad attacked in jacuzzi as thieves allegedly steal his iPhone https://t.co/B6hlXtYOE5

— Skyking58 (@Skyking581) August 21, 2026

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“I was listening to the class in earbuds, and normally I don’t do that, but this day I decided to, and felt a sharp kick behind my head,” Medina told The California Post.

The blow came without warning and apparently without provocation.

Surveillance video reportedly captured one suspect approaching Medina from behind and delivering a powerful kick to the back of his head.

A second suspect then reached down, grabbed Medina’s iPhone from the concrete, and fled with his companion.

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Neither attacker said anything to Medina before the assault, according to the victim. Instead, they laughed at the stunned father and continued laughing while they escaped, treating senseless violence like some cheap joke for their own amusement.

“They thought it was funny to do this to me,” Medina said.

That chilling detail makes the robbery even more disturbing, since the suspects apparently showed no concern about whether their victim had suffered a serious injury or could drown.

The stolen iPhone cost Medina more than $1,000, and he had only recently finished paying for it.

His AirPods were also lost, while his glasses were broken during the attack, adding more financial pain for a father already carrying substantial responsibilities.

The physical consequences were even worse. “I could have lost consciousness, you know, or I could have been hurt a lot worse and drowned,” Medina said, describing how quickly the attack could have become a killing.

Medina managed to track the stolen phone to a neighboring apartment property and contacted police.

He believes the suspects do not live in his complex and instead entered from the nearby property by climbing over a wall near the pool area.

“They hop the wall and come into our apartment complex. We have a pool,” Medina said.

Police were unable to identify a precise apartment because the neighboring property contains roughly 30 to 40 units, leaving officers with a difficult search.

The assault sent Medina to an emergency room, where he was treated for a concussion.

He was later diagnosed with “post-concussion syndrome,” yet the hardworking father said he could afford to miss only one day on the job.

Medina is a full-time chef, a full-time father, and the sole provider for his 12-year-old daughter.

He works for Lutheran Social Services and prepares meals for homeless people in San Bernardino, usually serving between 70 and 75 men each day.

His work begins around 5 a.m. and frequently continues until 1 or 2 p.m.

After spending those long hours feeding people in need, Medina viewed the jacuzzi as a rare chance to rest, decompress, and prepare for another demanding day.

Instead, two suspected young criminals turned that moment into a trip to the hospital.

“This was a pure act of violence. A pure act of evil,” Medina said, delivering an assessment that is difficult to dispute after watching the surveillance footage.

Medina never saw the attackers clearly but believes they were teenagers or young adults.

He hopes someone recognizes them and contacts investigators before their apparent taste for casual violence is directed at a senior citizen, a disabled person, or another vulnerable resident.

“What are they going to do with someone that’s in a wheelchair?” Medina asked.

San Bernardino police confirmed that the investigation remains active and that the suspects could face felony charges involving assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.

Medina said he cannot determine whether race motivated the assault.

“If it was racially motivated, I don’t know. I can’t say,” he explained, refusing to make claims beyond what he personally witnessed during the shocking encounter.

The father also placed responsibility where society too often refuses to put it, directly on the adults raising young people capable of such cruelty. “As a parent, it’s our responsibility to teach our children,” he said.

A man is violently assaulted and robbed while he’s chilling in his apartments jacuzzi.

You’ll never guess what the suspects look like. pic.twitter.com/B3tf0kg6Ta — Amiri King (@AmiriKing) August 21, 2026

“The parents of these young men should be held accountable as well. The buck stops with us as parents.”

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