Police release details of assault on teen

A teenage boy was attacked by another group of boys inside the mall, an incident captured on video.

UPPER MERION >> In an attempt to quell speculation on social media and provide the public with accurate information, police have released details about an incident that was captured on cellphone video, in which a teenage boy was assaulted by a group of teen boys at the King of Prussia Mall on March 31.

According to a post on the Upper Merion Police Department’s Facebook page, around 8 p.m. the victim — who is from Norristown — was attacked outside the Journey Kids store by a group of boys from Radnor who had been following him around the mall for nearly an hour.

Store employees broke up the fracas before mall security arrived at the scene and the victim was not seriously injured.

The post stated that the victim immediately filed a police report, sparking an investigation.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the attack was not random, but stemmed from an altercation several weeks ago, when the victim tried to break up a fight involving the same boys. Using video evidence obtained from mall security, police identified all of the suspects and are continuing their investigation to determine what charges will be filed against them.

None of the suspects names are being released since they are all juveniles, according to the post, which also contains a message reassuring the public that the mall is safe:

“Some recent social media posts have implied that this is an example of the mall becoming unsafe in recent years. Our crime statistics do not support that claim,” the post states.

The post goes on to cite statistics explaining that close to 20 million people have visited the mall between 2013 and 2016 and there has been an average of five assaults per year over that time span, including one aggravated assault.

The post also credits the mall’s high-quality security camera system with aiding in the swift apprehension of Cherie R. Amoore — a Chester County woman who abducted a baby from the food court at the Plaza in March 2016 — and includes the following statement:

“The Upper Merion Township Police Department, Mall Management (Simon Properties) and Mall Security (Allied Barton) are committed to the safety of everyone at the King of Prussia Mall. This is achieved through proper staffing, constant communication and a commitment to training by all three organizations. All three organizations have met today to discuss plans to adjust security measures in an effort to prevent future incidents of this nature in the King of Prussia Mall.

Everyone is reminded to report suspicious activity as soon as you become aware of it to help security and police respond as quickly as possible.” The numbers for King of Prussia Mall — 610-2657695 — and the Upper Merion Township Police Department — 610-265-3232 — are included in the post.

Meanwhile, Esther Purnell, the principal at Radnor Middle School, sent the following letter to parents on Wednesday:

“I’m writing to let you know about and acknowledge our awareness of an incident that recently occurred at the King of Prussia Mall and allegedly involved Radnor Middle School students.

In case you are not aware, several middle-school aged children were captured on video last Friday, March 31, attacking another middle-school aged child inside the mall. The Upper Merion Police Department is actively investigating the incident. We were disheartened to learn from the police that students from our school may have been involved. We are cooperating fully with the police in their investigation. We take great pride in our students and our school. While the actions of our alleged students as they pertain to this incident occurred outside the school day and do not represent all of us as a Radnor community, we would be remiss in not expressing our sincere disappointment and dismay. We do not tolerate this type of behavior.

As always, our top priority is keeping our students safe. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure a secure and supportive environment for our students in our school building and on our campus.”

Michael Petitti, a spokesman for the Radnor Township School District, said Purnell’s letter would serve as a statement from the district.