It wasnt premeditated.
He took the perps spay can? spray can and used it on what was dear to the perp.
But your right about the ball bat.
A female friend of mine, and also in So Cal was being harrased by punks while hubby was out to sea.
She chased them into an arroyo and beat the crap out of 2 of them with a broom stick. that was the end of it.
There is no morality involved in the law as it is dictated by Gov
My advice: Preplan your nonplanned reaction.