Three "Knockout" Attacks Reported In Philadelphia Area
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — "Knockout" attacks have been reported in several states around the country and now investigators believe three people have been attacked in our area.
Police in Lower Merion are investigating two attacks in the area, and Philadelphia detectives are investigating an attack in Northeast Philadelphia.
It's a violent crime that in other parts of the country has proven fatal.
Videos from cities around the country show people being punched and beaten at random.
The attackers are calling their crimes a game, the goal being to knock out the victim with one punch.
Mark Cumberland is a victim of a "Knockout" assault.
"Someone asked me for a cigarette and by the time I got my hands out my pocket I was getting hit by four kids."
He says, "It was hard seeing and I'm still having trouble breathing and swallowing."
Cumberland was walking out of a Fox Chase pizza shop on November 11th when he was attacked.
"There's no reason at all. I mean, I didn't get robbed, they didn't take nothing from me. They just beat me up."
Lower Merion Police say suspects Samuel Hayles and Markus January were arrested on October 29th, just moments after they allegedly ambushed and beat a 63-year-old man who was walking his dog.
Lt. Frank Higgins of the Lower Merion Police says, "He punched him right in the mouth and knocked him to the ground. The victim began to scream and yell for someone to call the police."
A neighbor of the victim, Jeri Greenfield says, "I think it's absolutely horrible. I think this is a beautiful neighborhood and I didn't expect anything like that here."
An elderly man was also attacked when he was mowing his lawn outside of his home.
The suspect in that attack is still on the loose.
Bruce Myer, a neighbor of the elderly victim says, "A kid came up to him and just punching him in the mouth. He ended up laying the street with his lawnmower."
The only apparent motive in these attacks, as in all "Knockout" attacks, is to inflict injury on a random victim.
Myer says, "The kid did it on a dare. He said give me five dollars and I'll knock that guy out."
It's very sad that before you used to walk on the street with no worries whatsoever," neighbor Al Ciavijo said.
The elderly victim is now using a cane and a walker to get around. He has had to undergo multiple medical procedures.
That suspect is still on the loose, as are the suspects in the Northeast Philadelphia attack.
