Mass. college student charged in three Knockout-like attacks

BEVERLY, Mass. – A sophomore at Endicott College accused of attacking three students at random has been arrested by Beverly police, reports CBS Boston.

Two of the victims suffered serious injuries while the third sustained minor injuries.

One of the victims was a freshman baseball player who is still not back at school after being hospitalized with a broken jaw.

"It was three assaults within an hour and he didn't even know them, the students," Endicott College President Richard Wylie told CBS Boston. “It was just a random act of violence.”

"I've been asked the question, 'Is this a Knockout?,'" referring to the spate of seemingly random one-punch attacks in many communities across the U.S. "It's symbolic of what's happening here in our society when people just feel they can violate somebody's rights," said Wylie.

Wylie says that Destefano, a former hockey player from New Jersey, was caught with the help of other students at the school, who reportedly recognized the suspect. Others allegedly heard the suspect bragging about the attacks.

Two other Endicott students who were with Destefano during the assaults turned themselves in to college authorities. Later, Destefano was arrested by Beverly police after turning himself in to campus security. The three students have been suspended and could all face expulsion.

CBS Boston reports Destefano is being held on $20,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.