Seven teenagers were charged yesterday morning for an attack and robbery of another teenager on Chicago’s south side. The attack was caught on video and went viral on YouTube.
The attack took place around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday in an alley behind an elementary school. Six boys and a 15-year-old girl are accused of participating in the beating and robbery of a 17-year-old male.
Only one of the attacker’s names is being released because he is the only one in the group who can be charged as an adult. He is 17 year-old Raymond Palomino, a student at Kelly High School. He is being charged with robbery and aggravated battery.
The other six attackers — two 16-year-old boys, three 15-year-old boys and the 15-year-old girl — were charged as juveniles, also with one count of robbery and one count of aggravated battery. Their names were not released due to their ages.
The video posted online shows five males kicking and punching the victim while taunting him with racial slurs. The victim was eventually able to run away. He was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released.
Items stolen from the victim were a pair of gym shoes, a wallet and cash.
Although the victim is of Asian descent according to The Associated Press, police say the crime does not appear to have been racially motivated.
The Chicago Tribune provided more details about Raymond Palomino and the possible motivation for the attack. Raymond Palomino’s father is a Cook County sheriff’s deputy. His father’s name is Michael Palomino. He said his 17-year-old son Raymond is being “made out as the fall guy.” Michael said he called police and agreed to turn his son in after seeing the video on the news.
After the hearing, his father said the attack was “retaliation” for an incident last month when the victim and his friends jumped Raymond and another boy after school. After that incident, there was a lot of trash talking on Facebook and things spiraled out of control, the father said.
Outside court, the teen’s father said that Raymond is generally a good student who has done well in school, but got mixed up with some friends who are troublemakers.
His son appeared in court wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. He hung his head low throughout the 10-minute hearing and appeared to have tears in his eyes as he was led from the courtroom.
Palomino’s defense attorney, Ilia Usharovich, said Palomino is a “young man with no criminal record who was ashamed to find himself where he was.”
Prosecutors said Palomino and the other boys persuaded the girl to lure the victim into an alley in the 2700 block of South Shields, where the others were waiting to beat him.
When Palomino saw the victim walking through the alley, he yelled “get him!” to the others, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Antonietti.
