They were among a crowd of young people who swarmed the sidewalk at Juniper and Walnut streets about 9:15 p.m. Friday and pounced on a 33-year-old man, punching and kicking him. Police say the attack appeared to be random.
Moments later, at 15th and Sanson, a mob descended on a 59-year-old man and kicked, punched and beat him. This attack, too, was random, police said.
Both men were treated and released at Thomas Jefferson University Hopital.
"It's just absolutely pitiful to have an 11-year-old running around Center City in a pack to do destruction," said Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. "The mayor's upset, Everybody's upset."
The beatings, which happened in plain view of people out for a stroll on a summer night or on their way to popular Center City restaurants, stunned passersby. Calls to 911 flooded in to police, who quickly made arrests.
On Saturday, Raymond Gatling, 19, and three juveniles, - ages, 11, 16 and 17 - were charged with conspiracy, aggravated, assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Gatling also was charged with robbery for taking a cell phone from the first victim.
Ramsey said he would meet with Mayor Nutter and District Attorney Williams to talk about how to prevent future assaults. He said they would work toward "a more coordinated response to put an end to this once and for all."
The commissioner said he hoped the courts would deal with the teens "in the harshest way possible."
He also faulted their parents. "At some point we have to hold the parents responsible," said Ramsey. "People have babies, they've got to take care of them.
"This is beyond stupid. One of those victims could have hit their head on the sidewalk and died. Then where would we be?"
