Man charged in hammer-swinging attack at Revere Beach

A Revere man was arraigned Monday on charges of wielding a hammer in a racially-motivated attack on a group of African-American and Hispanic beachgoers, injuring one of them.

Around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, police arrived at Revere Beach after a man was reported swinging a hammer at people and shouting racial slurs near the bandstand, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley.

Upon their arrival, police said they saw 24-year-old Gianpaolo Cerretani – who was shirtless and covered with blood from a wound to his head – shouting profanities and racial epithets at a group of young men and teenage boys. A 12-inch long hammer was located in the sand near where he stood, Conley said.

Before the incident, Cerretani allegedly took a football from a child on the beach, and the confrontation began after one of the members of the group returned the ball to the child.

Police said that Cerretani became enraged at the group, and began shouting at them and swinging the hammer at the group. It was unclear where he found the hammer.

The group eventually subdued Cerretani, who was also accused of shouting a racial slur at a security guard at a hospital.

Cerretani was charged Monday with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, civil rights violation, threats to commit a crime, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, Conley said. He was arraigned in Chelsea District Court where he was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday.