Downtown Crossing Businesses Worried About Groups Of Violent Teens

BOSTON (CBS) - Boston Police are making their presence known in Downtown Crossing just two days after an attack on a 20-year-old woman by a group of some 20 teens police say had swarmed the area. Five juveniles are now facing charges.

"They just pushed her, and everyone started going crazy hitting her, the kids basically," said Julie Mendez who manages a smoke shop on Washington Street.

Police say they were mostly girls as young as 12 years old punching and kicking after yelling a profanity about the braids in the victim's hair. "From one angle I saw a kid hit her with his foot and kick her," said Mendez.

They also turned on officers according to the police report. One of the teens "clenched her fists and raised her hands high toward her face in an aggressive fighting stance similar to a boxing prize fight. 'What you wanna do'?" one of the teens yelled according to the report.

There's been a barrage of recent incidents. On the night of March 21, the Silvertone Bar and Grill on Bromfield Street had its windows smashed by a group of teens.

"They had a Sprite bottle and they were throwing it at the window," said Matt a bartender at the bar. "They also took a cone outside and a sign that says, 'welcome to the Silvertone' throwing it at the windows."

Matt says he and a manager tried to hold the door to stop the teens from entering and was sprayed with glass. "They were pretty violent and fearless and didn't seem to care," Matt said.

A manager, Colleen, says the bar is on what seems to be a now deserted Bromfield Street with drug use nearby. "Maybe more police, a little bit more lighting so people feel safer down here and bring more businesses down here," Colleen said.

The same night, an 81-year-old man was attacked at a McDonald's on Washington Street and on March 23 a fight broke out at Black Seed Cafe and Grill on Tremont Street.

Business owners say since the pandemic there have been fewer eyes on crime in Downtown Crossing. "We don't have enough people taking care of security," said Mendez.