Suspect Accused Of Assault, Robbery In Elk Grove Park Turns Himself In
ELK GROVE (CBS13) - An Elk Grove teen is recovering from a baseball bat attack after trying to sell self-balancing scooters in his neighborhood.
The teen was robbed of the so-called hoverboards by a group of thieves and beaten during daylight hours on December 3 at a public park along the 6300 block of Castro Verde Way.
Police say one of the suspects turned himself in at the Sacramento County Main Jail on Thursday.
We spoke to the victim and his mother who say they are afraid that the attackers are still out there.
Sam Santos thought he was playing it safe to make the sale of two $400 hoverboards. He and his mother met the seller in a park that has video surveillance in daylight hours. But that still didn't stop the attacker from hitting him with a baseball bat.
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"He was here in the back of him and he hit him this way. So, the bat hit the side of his head here," said Shanika Santos, demonstrating how her son was hit.
Sam and his younger brother bought hoverboards to start a small business selling to friends and family. Sam says he told an acquaintance at the park about the hoverboards.
"I play basketball with him in the park," said Sam.
The acquaintance gave him the number of a friend who wanted to buy two boards. Sam made plans to meet him at the park. Sam's mom and two brothers came along.
"…I just thought it was going to be him," said Sam.
While his mom waited in the car, Sam and his brother opened the trunk to show the hoverboards.
"I was just standing there, and all of a sudden, I got hit with a bat," he said.
"All I heard was this pop noise. When I heard the noise, it actually sounded like a small gun. That freaked me out, so I jumped out of the car. Sam is lying on the ground and the kids are running off with the boxes," said Shanika, the victim's mother.
Sam had a seizure after the attack and spent the night in the hospital. Police have identified one suspect as 18-year-old Jourdan Ware.
"We talked to his family and they're not sure of his whereabouts. We believe he may be staying with friends somewhere in Elk Grove," said Elk Grove Police Department Detective Josh Magdaleno.
Ware is not the man Sam spoke to on the phone. Sam believes that man used a fake name. His mother still worries about her son's safety until the three men are caught.
"You could've shown him the bat and he probably would have given you the boards. Instead, you hit him in the head over a toy," said Shanika.
The acquaintance who put Sam in contact with his attacker allegedly told him later that he didn't really know the man.
Ware faces charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.