"The boy then grabbed her from behind, lifted her off the ground, and body-slammed her onto the pavement, after which he stomped on her head."
Incident
On Monday, April 20, a 15-year-old girl was walking on a sidewalk in East Harlem, New York City. A 14-year-old boy followed her, and she attempted to avoid him, telling him to leave her alone. The boy then grabbed her from behind, lifted her off the ground, and body-slammed her onto the pavement, after which he stomped on her head. The attack was captured on video, which shows bystanders encouraging the boy.
The girl had reportedly declined to give the boy her phone number prior to the incident. She was on her way to squash practice and is a student-athlete at a charter school in East Harlem.
Response
The boy was arrested and charged with assault.
Statements
The boy's mother stated that her son had complained about the girl for some time, alleging that she had sent him messages and pushed him, and that the school principal did not address the issue when raised. She denied that her son was seeking the girl's phone number and described the attack as retaliation. She characterized her son as "humble" and Christian.
Background
The girl's mother reported that the boy had been giving her daughter unwanted attention for weeks. The video evidence shows the girl attempting to avoid the boy before the attack.
The victim was taken to Harlem Hospital after the incident.