Seven black teens have been arrested for assaulting a 15-year-old Hispanic boy while he was walking home from school in Southern California, they face possible hate crime charges.
The March 14 attack took place in Palmdale, was captured on video and subsequently posted on YouTube. The video has since been removed from the video sharing site. The seven boys, ages 13 to 16, were arrested Wednesday for assault and committing a hate crime, Lt. Don Ford said.
The attack occurred near Cactus Middle School, but it is not known if any of the teens involved were students there.
The video shows up to as many as 10 boys surrounding the victim and challenging him to a fight. The suspects then began hitting the teen while others watched.
The teens yelled racially derogatory statements at the victim during the beating that were captured on the video, Ford said.
The victim was kicked multiple times in the head after falling to the ground. Several of his teeth were knocked out and shoe impressions were left on his skin, Ford said.
The teen was able to get to his feet and escape the attack.
He will need to undergo dental surgery.
The teens who were arrested were identified from the video, which has been retained for evidence. Authorities are not releasing the video.
Police are seeking three more suspects.
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