A FOX40 reporter and photographer were attacked while covering a murder investigation in Natomas.
“This is one of the hazards of the business but we didn’t expect what we encountered here today,” said reporter John Lobertini.
Early this morning, a man who friends identify as 27-year-old Chester Jackson was shot and killed in a parking lot outside an IHOP in the 2900 block of Advantage Way. Sacramento Police say it started as a fight inside the restaurant.
Friends and family gathered at the scene Sunday and set up a memorial with candles and balloons.
When FOX40 reporter John Lobertini and photojournalist Rebecca Little approached around 4 p.m. to see if anyone wanted to talk about what happened, they were attacked.
Several people pulled Little to the ground by her hair and kicked her in the face. “When I fell on the ground I was protecting myself, and then she kicked me and I was still kinda paralyzed, and I hear my reporter John say, ‘get up, get up,'” said Little.
Lobertini was also attacked. “I was punched on the side of my face,” said Lobertini, “but it was a situation where I was trying to fight off 6 or 7 or 8 people, I can’t even count them.”
He says he was able to hold them off long enough so Little could get up and they could backpedal down the sidewalk.
Both are shaken up but are doing okay. Little said she didn’t know things would get that bad. “I know people are going through rough times but that’s still my job. I wasn’t trying to get in their face and be disrespectful.”
