NEW YORK – The New York Police Department confirmed it has charged five suspects with gang assault and robbery for their connection to the beating Thursday of a 15-year-old girl in Brooklyn that was captured by a security camera, reported Fox News.
An NYPD spokesperson told the news organization that robbery is the likely motive, but that authorities were not ready to confirm any further details at this time.
The five suspects remained in custody as of Saturday evening, police said.
A group of teenage boys descended on the girl in Crown Heights and began to hit her and stomp on her head as she lay helpless on the ground, as seen on video released by NYPD.
Moreover, the girl had a pair of Air Jordan sneakers taken off her feet during the beating, along with her cellphone and debit card.
The teenage victim was rushed to the hospital, treated for head trauma and later released, officials said. The attack was reportedly retaliation for a fight the victim had with another girl earlier in the day, according to reports.
The five boys had turned themselves in with their parents on Friday, The New York Post reported, but their names and ages were not made public.
Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey called the video “sickening” in a Friday morning tweet.
“We cannot allow this behavior in our community,” he said.
