Danny Trejo says race played a part in July Fourth parade brawl: report

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 11: Danny Trejo arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “Muppets Most Wanted” held at the El Capitan Theatre on March 11, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

Actor Danny Trejo, the “Machete” star and Los Angeles native, believes his race was a factor in the brawl that took place at a parade on the Fourth of July.

In an interview with TMZ, Trejo and his unnamed friend said that a man randomly threw a water balloon at the vintage convertible they were riding in during a parade in L.A.’s Sunland-Tujunga neighborhood. Trejo didn’t realize it was full of water at first, leading to his concerned reaction.

“I don’t think I would have even gotten out of the car if somebody hadn’t yelled ‘it’s acid,’” the 80-year-old actor said. “That’s when I got panicked.”

While Trejo admitted to throwing the brawl’s first punch, he says one of the men grabbed his chest beforehand.

Trejo stumbled when the man fought back but he managed to avoid injury. His friend showed TMZ several bruises all over his body, including a blackened eye. He said the men stomped on his arms when he was on the ground.

The pair believe their Mexican descent made them targets.

“I’m just sad that there’s still people like, from the [1950s] and 60s that still feel the same way,” Trejo said. “Because no one else was targeted.”

Trejo’s friend told TMZ that “it was targeted,” and no one else involved with the parade had balloons thrown at them.

In and out of California jails in his early years, Trejo reformed himself to begin a successful career in film starting in the 1980s. He’s since starred in movies like “From Dusk Till Dawn,” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” before starting business ventures in L.A. like a donut shop and taco restaurant.