Delaware teens arrested after assault posted online

Police have arrested two Delaware teens in the beating of a mentally disabled man after a video of the assault was posted to social media. 

New Castle County Police said Monday that they arrested the 13-year-old and 14-year-old boys, both of Newark, on Saturday.

The video shows the teens repeatedly punching the man in the head and stomping on him.

Officer Tracey Duffy says that the teens were arrested after they and their parents went to police headquarters to complain about threatening phone calls, which they got because their phone numbers and addresses were posted online, along with the video of the assault.

The teens are charged with offensive touching, assault of a vulnerable adult and conspiracy. They were arraigned Saturday and released on bonds of $2,500.

Viral videos of the attack have gained considerable attention locally and nationally and Delaware officials are censuring the two teens charged with the assault.

Gov. Jack Markell said he was “horrified and sickened” by the video.

“The images not only are disgusting for the physical harm done to the victim,” he said, “[t]hey are also an affront to our most important values, which recognize that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”

Markell asked for strong and swift justice.

“We must send the strongest possible message that this behavior is unacceptable and reprehensible, while using this incident as a reminder of the importance of our mission to root out bullying from our communities,” he said.