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Pack of Teens Beat Man in Hell's Kitchen 'On a Dare,' Police Say

By Alan Neuhauser | November 20, 2013 6:12pm
 These men were wanted in connection with an attack and attempted robbery in Hell's Kitchen early Friday morning, Nov. 1, 2013.
Alleged Suspects in Hell's Kitchen Attack
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HELL'S KITCHEN — Police arrested a pack of teenagers wanted for randomly robbing and beating a man in the head with a cane outside the music venue Terminal 5 on a dare Halloween night, police sources said.

The attack was "a spur of the moment thing," said Midtown North Precinct Detective Squad Commander Mike Saccone. "One kid dared the other to do it."

The teens, some as young as 15 and all students at the same Bronx high school, were part of a group of seven that came to Midtown from The Bronx that night, police said.

"Young kids had nothing else to do, end up wandering around," Saccone recounted, calling it a "senseless act."

The group came across the man, 23, as he walked along the sidewalk and started punching and kicking him, stole his Rolex and then "hit him in the head with a cane," Saccone said. "Hit him for no reason."

After the attack, police initially stated that the teens didn't make off with any of the man's property.

Security cameras happened to get "great, great video of the incident," Saccone said, and footage from other cameras on the block allowed investigators to retrace the teens' path after the attack. A tip then helped officers track down and arrest one of the alleged attackers, with arrests of the other four following soon after.

The man was treated at Roosevelt Hospital and released, police said. The teens were charged with robbery and assault.