A 14-year-old boy says he suffered a bruised rib and cuts to his head after he was randomly attacked by a group of teens while he was walking with his cousin in Philadelphia Saturday.
The boy told NBC10 he and his 15-year-old cousin were walking down Vandike Street around 4:45 p.m. when they were suddenly confronted by a group of 10 to 12 teens. The teen says the group asked him if he knew another boy named "Robert." When the teen and his cousin said no, the group allegedly attacked them.
“One of them punched me in the neck and I kept on walking because I didn’t want to start anything with them,” said the teen, who did not want to be identified.
The teen says he and his cousin tried to walk away but the group followed them and continued to attack. The group allegedly pushed the teen head first into metal garage doors. The teen’s cousin then helped him up and the two ran down the block to a nearby 7-11 and called for help.
“I got three staples in my head,” the teen said.
The teen also says he suffered bruised ribs during the attack.
“I will press charges,” said the boy’s mother Jennifer Simon. “I definitely will, to maybe save another child from it happening to them.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Simon filed a police report and shared what happened on a Mayfair Facebook page, asking for help in tracking the group down. She did not provide a detailed description of the alleged attackers, only saying some of them were white while others were black. She also said the boy who most severely injured her son had orange hair and that some of the boys were on bikes.
Residents say they saw a group hanging out at different locations in the neighborhood Saturday night. They also say they’ve seen a group of kids on bikes who have started trouble in the area.
“They were not even a block away from home and they weren’t out of the house but three seconds and that happened,” said Donna Cohen. “It’s terrifying.”
The teen and his cousin said they didn’t recognize anyone in the group. Police are currently investigating.
