Skater Pelted by Paintballs Breaks Skull

An in-line skater believed to be in his 50s was critically injured Sunday in Newport Beach when he fell and struck his head on a concrete path after being pelted by paintballs fired from a nearby bluff, police said.

The unidentified victim was rushed to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where surgeons operated on him for life-threatening injuries, said Newport Beach Police Lt. Mike Jackson.

Police discovered the fallen man about 1:30 p.m. on Backbay Drive below East Bluff Park, a route that winds around the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Preserve and has long been favored by roller skaters and cyclists.

When police arrived, a group of marble-sized paintballs lay on the ground beside the victim. A witness told police officers that the victim fell after being struck by pellets fired from the bluffs above.

The victim, who was not wearing a helmet, cracked his head open when he hit the ground, Jackson said. As of late Sunday, police were unsure who was responsible.

“I’m sure whoever was doing it just thought they were goofing around,” Jackson said, “but look what happened.”

A dozen officers spent the afternoon canvassing the neighborhood, asking if neighbors knew who could have fired the paintballs.