3 Northwest Indiana teens charged after ‘brutal attack’ on another teen

CROWN POINT, Ind. — Three teens from Northwest Indiana will face charges after what the Lake County Sheriff is calling a “brutal attack” caught on camera and shared among students on social media.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said detectives believe the attack happened on Jan. 8 in a restroom at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, Indiana.

The boy who was attacked was “lured” into the restroom by someone who he thought was his friend, Martinez said.

That’s when the boy was punched, kicked and stomped on while another teen filmed the attack, Martinez said. The boy was pleading with them to let him go home.

All of the boys are 15 and freshmen at Crown Point High School.

Two of the boys were booked into the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center and the third boy will face charges at a later date.

“I am disgusted by this display of violence and utter humiliation from the boys who preyed upon the young man in the video,” Martinez said. “The images literally made me sick to my stomach. Not only did they bully and assault the boy physically, but they also attempted to shame him even further by spreading the video among other students.  This kind of violence is pure evil and cannot be tolerated.”

Martinez said two qualified mental health professionals from the office’s Police Assisted Recovery Initiative will reach out to the boy who was attacked and his family to provide resources as they heal.

The sheriff thanked the school administrators who reported the incident.

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