Cebu teen’s condition improves after California mall beating

MANILA, Philippines – The Cebuano teen who was brutally beaten at the Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, California, on March 11, woke up from a drug-induced coma on April 3.

Christian Rasner, the victim of the beating, will likely go through months of rehabilitation, according to a report in local news website The Patch.

The first suspect, Truong Huynh, was nabbed on March 28, while the second suspect is still at large. 

Christian was at the mall with a friend when two men approached them and asked if they were gang members. They tried to run, but the attackers caught up with them in the parking lot where he was beaten. (READ: Cops nab suspect in California mall assault on Cebu teen) 

The teenager’s family denies Christian has any gang affiliations. 

“The good news keeps rolling in. Christian is up and walking, talking and wanting to go home,” Greg Rasner, the teen’s adopted father, wrote on an April 13 entry in Christian’s GoFundMe page. He adds, “He’s also out of the ICU! Wow! He undergoes physical therapy daily which consists of different walking around, playing with a ball, board games, etc..”

Christian was born in Cebu City. According to a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rasner’s biological father – a member of the Aznar clan of Cebu – was shot and killed when he was 24.

As of posting time, the family has raised $9,600 of their $10,000 goal for Christian’s medical expenses. – Rappler.com