SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — According to the City Attorney’s Office, the charges filed against Camp Pendleton Marine Jason Frink may be dismissed after a judge granted him diversion. The Marine was charged with misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor battery following an altercation with two women inside a Pacific Beach hotel.
Earlier this year, a video went viralshowing Frink walking into the Pacific Terrace Hotel where he appears intoxicated before verbally and physically assaulting two female hotel employees.
In the video, Frink repeatedly asks the two women “where they came from” before shoving one and then lunging at the other.
One of the women, Ronnie Toms, was working that night as a security officer. In the viral video she took on her phone, she is seen grabbing a lamp to defend herself.
Toms says Frink became aggressive after they couldn’t find a reservation under his name in the hotel’s system.
ABC 10News spoke with Toms about the incident after it happened.
At a May 10th court hearing, Frink was granted diversion by a judge “over the objection of the City Attorney’s Office,” said a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office.
The spokesperson explained that if Frink abides by certain conditions set forth by the court for one year, then the charges will be dismissed.
“The conditions include: violate no laws, appear at all future court hearings, have no contact with either of the hotel employees/victims in the case, stay 100 yards away from the hotel in Pacific Beach where the incident took place, attend self-help meetings for six months, and do not consume any alcohol for the full year. Restitution is still to be determined,” said the City Attorney’s Office spokesperson.
“I’m just happy that me and my coworker were okay. But…it’s hard," said Toms on Tuesday. "I felt like my voice was heard through social media. However, when it comes to the justice system I don’t feel like my voice was heard at all."
The clip of the altercation has more than a million views on various social media platforms – sparking outrage in the comments.
“If the roles were reversed…I would have gotten charged,” Toms told 10News. “Even when you record things…it doesn’t mean that justice is going to be served.”
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton confirmed to ABC 10News on Tuesday that Frink has retained his position as a Sergeant on base.
Frink’s attorney David Shapiro also released a statement on his behalf:
“Mr. Frink is appreciative of the opportunity to earn an outright dismissal of the case after he successfully completes diversion. He has suffered greatly the past five months because of this incident: physically, financially, and emotionally. His remorse and recognition of the impact that night had on everyone involved has been genuine and consistent throughout.”
