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Mayor condemns ‘deplorable’ violence
BALTIMORE -
Two days after police say a 26-year-old woman was beaten by nine middle schoolers on a Baltimore City bus, city leaders began condemning the attack. “This incident was deplorable,” said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. “I will not tolerate intimidation or violence anywhere in our city.” Baltimore NAACP President Marvin “Doc” Cheatham said he wanted to “reach out” to Sarah Kreager, 26, who suffered broken bones and lacerations after nine Robert Poole Middle School students assaulted her around 3 p.m Tuesday, police said. Other students on the bus that day contend that Kreager instigated the attack. Baltimore City schools CEO Andres Alonso said the incident was “clearly a tragedy.” “The students and the parents have one story; the victims have another story,” he said. “It’s clearly a tragedy and something that occurs very, very rarely. It’s something we hope never happens and we need to find out more about it.” The Examiner first reported Thursday that Kreager was twice denied an open seat by the middle schoolers — all age 14 and 15; Kreager was “immediately attacked,” police said. The six boys and three girls punched and kicked her on the bus at the intersection of 33rd Street and Chestnut Avenue, according to Maryland Transit Administration police. The bus driver on the No. 27 line quickly called police, who responded and arrested the nine juveniles, who were charged with aggravated assault, said Jawauna Greene, an MTA police spokeswoman. Greene said police have not determined whether the attack was racially motivated. The suspects are black and the victim is white, according to the police report. |
