A group of teenagers were arrested in Somerset Monday night after police say they attacked a man and threatened him with an airsoft gun at a beach.
The 20-year-old man contacted police just before 7 p.m. on Monday to report the attack at Pierce Beach Park. He told police he was assaulted by three unknown males and then threatened with a gun, but was able to break free and flee the area, the department said in a statement.
In an interview with police, the man said he had ridden his motorcycle to the park when the assault occurred. The man was seated on his bike when three shirtless males walked over and tried to physically remove him from it, police said.
The man told the group he didn’t want any problems and didn’t want to fight with them. But the group began threatening to shoot the man and one of the males began reaching into a backpack, police said. Believing they were retrieving a gun, the man fled the area on his bike.
A pair of officers responding to the beach found an unattended backpack near the playground that matched a description given by the man. Police seized the bag and noticed a heavy object inside they later identified as an airsoft pellet pistol designed to look and feel like a real semiautomatic pistol.
The man subsequently identified the three suspects, who were identified by police only by their ages because they are under 18. The 17-year-old and two 16-year-olds police say were responsible for the attack are each charged in juvenile court with assault and battery. One of the teens will face an additional charge of assault with a dangerous weapon, police said.
