Teens sentenced for mob attacks

Six Philadelphia teens were in court Thursday for their involvement in violent mob attacks on July 29.

The three teens charged in connection with three assaults on 15th Street between Walnut and Locust around 9 p.m. all pleaded guilty to robbery, criminal conspiracy, assault and rioting.

“Your actions, behavior and attitude are appalling for a civil society,” said Family Court Judge Kevin Dougherty as he sentenced the oldest of the teens and the alleged ringleader, 17, to four years in state custody. “You caused innocent people to fear not only you, but all African-American males walking down the street. That’s a disgrace.”

The 16-year-old was remanded to the Youth Study Center pending transport to the Glen Mills Schools. In the case of the 11-year-old, Dougherty deferred judgment and released him on house arrest pending a mental health evaluation. “I need to know what’s going on in his head first,” he said.

The cases of the three Mastery Charter school students, who assaulted a man earlier that afternoon at Fourth and Walnut streets, were continued because one of the defense lawyers did not have adequate time to watch the surveillance video.

“What I find very sad is today, across the street, we’re honoring the life of a man who died protecting us from foreign attacks,” Dougherty said. “Yet in Philadelphia, we are under attack by our own children. We’re a block away, but worlds apart.”