Fresno teen beat and pistol whipped near McLane High School
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County sheriff's deputies are looking for three suspects who beat a teen and pistol whipped him during an attempted robbery.
The attack happened around 6pm Monday night on Union Avenue. That's on a Fresno County island near Cedar and Clinton.
The 15-year-old victim was right across the street from McLane High School Monday night, when sheriff's deputies say he was violently attacked, investigators say at least one of the suspects tried to disguise himself.
Chris Curtice with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said, "The suspect armed with a small handgun was wearing a bandana covering his face."
The victim's mother told Action News her son's eye was swollen shut and he had cuts to the back of his head and face from the gun. Deputies say a neighbor who lives on the corner where it happened witnessed the attack and chased away the young suspects.
"A neighbor across the street saw what was happening and got up and when the three suspects saw him approaching they ran," said Curtice. "The neighbor chased after the three suspects where they tried to hide behind the library."
Jimmy Collazo has lived in the neighborhood for about two years. He says teens are worse. He says it's not uncommon to find them getting high in his yard and then get confrontational with him.
Collazo added, "So I get all the profanity you know, not only with me but neighbors too, trash, just everything in general."
Monday evening his dog was barking and his girlfriend saw several teens in the area. Their backyard backs up to an alley, that's a hangout after school and also easy access to the library.
Investigators say the victim was on his way home from Mclane High School and did not have anything valuable with him.
Deputies don't have a specific description of the suspects, but they do appear to be in their late teens or early adults. They may live in the area or even go to school near here.
A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
