Two 13-year-old suspects accused of physically attacking people and vandalizing businesses in downtown Boston are being held on bail, WFXT-TV reported.
The two suspects are part of a larger group of violent juveniles who’ve been terrorizing the city in recent weeks.
What are the details?
One suspect was charged with 14 counts in connection with nine incidents and ordered held on $5,000 bail; the other suspect was charged with nine counts in connection with five incidents and ordered held on $3,500 bail, the station said.
Judge Peter Coyne in Suffolk County Juvenile Court on Monday ordered that the pair wear GPS tracking bracelets if they post bail, WFXT reported, adding that Coyne also ordered that they leave home only for school or service provider reasons — and stay away from Downtown Crossing.
‘Worse than monsters’
An 81-year-old man named James told the station in a separate story that the marauding group of teens attacked him at a McDonald’s in Downtown Crossing last month.
“They are worse than monsters,” James told WFXT. “These kids don’t care. They are defiant to the law.”
He told the station three girls and one boy taunted him “just for the fun of it” on March 21, knocking a hamburger from his hands and then smacking his head.
“They came straight to me like they know me,” James added to WXTF. “They hit me two or three times and covered my head with whipped cream.” He also told the station “nobody intervened. They were all fraidy cats. This is a disgrace.”
James noted to the station that he’s still furious over the incident as the juveniles are connected to more and more violent crime.
“Something’s got to be done,” James told WFXT. “It’s a ridiculous situation,” he said.
Indeed the station said some of the repeat offenders continue to roam the streets because they’re too young; authorities can’t arrest or prosecute children younger the age of 12 under 2018 state criminal reform legislation — which also provides limited options for detaining anyone under 14.
“They need to change the law where everyone is punished,” James told WFXT. “They’re not innocent! I don’t care what age they are.”
What else have the youngsters been up to?
Last month the same group of juveniles kicked and punched a woman — calling her a “white b***h with braids” — in Downtown Crossing.
WFXT-TV said in a video report that an 11-year-old girl involved in the attack against the woman and against the 81-year-old man at the McDonald’s wasn’t charged.
Then last Wednesday night, two students from Suffolk University in Boston were physically attacked on Boston Common by the same group of juveniles, WFXT said.
Police believe the main instigator in the attack was that same 11-year-old girl, the station said.
At 6:30 p.m. the juveniles were harassing a woman and her child near the Earl of Sandwich shop on the common, and two Suffolk students tried to help, WFXT said.
“As the woman walked away the group began swearing at her,” according to a police report, the station said.
With that, the Suffolk students told the juveniles to leave the woman alone — and then the group took aim at the students, WFXT reported.
“At this point the slim, black juvenile female began punching [her] and knocked her glasses off her face,” the police report said, according to the station. “She then stepped on her glasses before punching her again.”
One of the students shot video of the incident, WFXT said, adding that police identified the main instigator as an 11-year-old and said she’s well known to officers and is responsible for terrorizing unsuspecting citizens of downtown Boston.
But because of her age, the 11-year-old girl won’t be formally charged — just issued a summons, WBZ-TV reported. There were were five juveniles in the attacking group on the commons consisting of kids no older than 14, WBZ said.
‘Absolutely no fear’
WFXT said video shows the same group of juveniles trying to enter the Silvertone Bar & Grill in Downtown Crossing in late March.
“The really scary part is absolutely no fear,” restaurant owner Dave Savoie told WFXT of the juveniles. “Like, the look in their eyes, very matter of fact, a lot of anger.”
Savoie told the station they were demanding alcohol, and when he told them to leave, they began yelling at patrons and at him.
“So much profanity and so much crap and harassment,” he noted to WXTF. “The one little girl even tried to … swing at me when I wouldn’t let her back down into the restaurant to go after my customers.”
After getting the juveniles outside, Savoie told the station one of the girls went after him with a knife; he retreated, but the group then broke windows on the front of the restaurant.
“They just start smashing the windows with whatever they can get their hands on,” Savoie added to WXTF.
* story by The Blaze
