LATEST STORIES:

Three teen girls facing charges after masked attack in Stoney Creek

Share this story...

Three teen girls are facing charges in connection with an assault that happened near a pizza parlour in the Stoney Creek area Friday afternoon.

The attack happened outside the plaza right next to St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School.

Hamilton police say the alleged assault took place during the lunch hour of Feb. 27. They say the victim is a 17-year-old girl, who had gone to the business during her lunch period, before the incident happened.

Investigators say the victim had been approached by several youths and agreed to step outside the establishment. Once outside, the victim was physically assaulted by three masked teen girls.

“She did so and when she did she was ambushed by three other youths,” said Hamilton Police Det. Staff Sgt. Steve Bereziuk. “All three are female — two of which we now know are 15, and one is 14-years-old.”

The attack lasted about 35 seconds, and the three aggressors could be seen punching and kicking the victim repeatedly, before a staff member from the business intervened and stopped the assault.

The victim later returned to her nearby high school where staff contacted paramedics and transported her to hospital as a precaution.

“Our female victim was then transported to a hospital later on, just for precautionary measures and to be looked at for some visible injuries — certainly to her face,” said Bereziuk. “She was listed as in stable condition.”

Since the assault, a video was reported to be circulating on social media, which captured the attack.

READ MORE: Burlington man dies of injuries after weekend crash in Pelham, Ont.

In the video, several other teens can be seen filming the altercation on their phones — the teens were filming before the assault, leading police to believe this was all premeditated.

“It’s a despicable act to do that. I mean, this forms the intent of the assault, and that’s why you use the language ‘ambushed’,” said Bereziuk. “There’s some evidence, obviously, to support premeditation to this particular assault, and that would include the covering of the faces to assist in going undetected.”

Police told CHCH News that they can’t do anything about the video being circulated on social media, which included posts on X and on Facebook.

Detectives say two 15-year-old girls and one 14-year-old girl have been charged with assault and disguise with intent to commit an offence.

One of the girls had turned themselves into police Monday, the other two were arrested at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School.

All three girls were arrested and released on undertakings with conditions.

Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the identities of the accused cannot be released.

Investigators did not divulge the reason for the assault, but were able to say that it was over a disagreement.

Police continue to work with school officials to support student safety and address incidents involving youth in the community.

READ MORE: Good Samaritan victimized following latest distraction theft in Hamilton