A woman says a man choked and slapped her 14-year-old son, and his 17-year-old brother who defended him, at the YMCA in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood.
Boston police have released surveillance photos of a man accused of assaulting two teenagers at a YMCA in Brighton Wednesday afternoon.
The victims' mother says her 14-year-old son was attacked after a basketball game, and his 17-year-old brother was also hurt standing up for him.
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Police say the 21-year-old man responsible ran off after the incident on Washington Street around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. He is described as having short dreadlocks, earrings, and a chain. He was wearing a black shirt with an image of a chain-link fence and basketball hoop, black basketball shorts with a white stripe, and red and black sneakers.
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Sylvia Lopez is the mother of the victims and said she wants the suspect charged.
"My son said that he squeezed his neck so hard that he ripped his skin off the neck, and then he slapped my son," said Sylvia Lopez.
She received a call from the Oak Square YMCA shortly after the incident.
"This was a grown man," Lopez said. "He said, 'He was a big grown man, I couldn't do nothing.'"
She says her older son tried to help his brother by throwing a basketball at the attacker's head.
"So he threw the ball at the man, so he could let my son go, and then he turned around and he smacked my other son in the face," Lopez said.
The assault happened while the teens and the adult were playing basketball during open gym time.
The teens were treated on scene after the man fled.
NBC10 Boston reached out to the YMCA, which said it is working with police and taking all steps necessary to resolve the matter.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect pictured above is asked to contact police at (617) 343-4256 or through he anonymous Crimestoppers Line:
- By Phone: 1-800-494-TIPS
- By Text: Text “TIP” to CRIME (27463)
- Online: Boston Police CrimeStoppers
