"She could have been killed": Father of woman beat in Center City speaks out
Editors note: Warning, some of the pictures in the video above may be disturbing to some.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Center City woman is now frightened to walk through the city that she loves.
Two weeks ago, that woman was walking to get her hair done at 15th and Chestnut Streets like she's done so many times before when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
That's when eight young people began to punch and kick her to the point of losing consciousness. Police say they have identified seven of the eight suspects wanted in connection to the incident. Three of the suspects turned themselves into authorities Thursday night.
Charges have also been approved by the District Attorney's office. Authorities say they're working to bring the other suspects into custody.
Police say they're also working to identify the eighth suspect pictured below.
After the attack, her face was swollen with a bruised eye. She also had a bloodied cheek below the bruise.
The woman's father thought she was going to die.
None of the alleged attackers are even old enough to drive, police sources say.
And now, a young woman is now living in fear.
"I'm terrified," the woman said. "I'm uncomfortable standing here right now."
The 34-year-old victim did not want to reveal her name, but her father shared a photo of the bruises and cuts on her face after a group of eight teenagers brutally beat her in Center City last week.
"I was just walking down Chestnut, it was really unprovoked to be honest," the woman said.
"She could have been killed," Dr. William Corse said.
Corse is the victim's father. He could barely hold back his emotions thinking about the teens who attacked his daughter.
"This is pretty hard for all of us," Corse said.
Corse says his daughter was headed to a hair appointment around 7 p.m. at 15th and Chestnut Streets last week when someone tapped her from behind.
"Next thing you know she was punched and knocked to the ground," Corse said.
He says the group of eight teen suspects was relentless.
"It's hard to imagine a teenager being that detached from reality and right and wrong," Corse said.
As her daughter laid on the ground unconscious, he says one suspect went through her pockets.
"I never seen anything like this," Corse said. "There's enough violence to go around, much less this."
His daughter lived in the city for about six years but is now looking to move out.
For the most part, she's enjoyed it down there and this has changed her perspective.
"Honestly she's just so traumatized by this," Corse said. "If it were up to her she would just hide somewhere. She's beyond traumatized."
"It's tough for sure," the woman said. "I love Philly but I don't even want to walk down the street anymore."
The victim's father has a message to the parents of those eight teenage suspects and all parents in the city.
"How in the world do you raise somebody to behave like that? I hope you expect better from your children in the future because on this pathway they are going nowhere," Corse said. "They will be a complete waste to society, their lives will have been wasted and it will be a loss for everyone."
