A Louisiana teenager with autism was the victim of a “knockout game” attack which left his jaw broken, the teenager’s mother claims.
The attack took place in Covington, La. last weekend as the 17 year-old was walking home from the library, WDSU reports.
“All of a sudden the boy in the maroon shirt came up from behind him punched him from behind in his face and he fell to the ground,” his mother told WDSU.
She said her son’s jaw was broken in two places. A required surgery involved four plates and 15 screws. The teen will be on a all-liquid diet for eight weeks.
“That child was not bothering nobody at the park, and they are going to follow him all the way over here to do something like that,” said Charles Certain, a neighbor who called the police.
According to WDSU, Covington police maintain that the attack was an isolated incident.(RELATED: In Attack, NYPD Says Attempted Robbery, Victim Says ‘Knockout Game’)
In the so-called “knockout game”, attackers attempt to knock their targets out with one blow. The attacks have led to several deaths throughout the U.S., though some have downplayed whether or not they constitute a national trend.
The attacks were first reported prominently in major U.S. cities such as New York City. But they have also been reported in other areas, including suburban and rural areas.