Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Student Brutally Beaten After Accidentally Hitting Girl with Ball
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 24, 2009
Modified Dec 24, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 24, 2009
Modified Dec 24, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Kids can be so cruel. And savage and bloodthirsty! Six teens and one tween were recently arrested in Englewood, New Jersey, where a 13-year-old was beaten so brutally that he needs reconstructive surgery to his face to correct several broken bones, and may lose his sight. The horrible assault happened on Friday as eighth grade honor student David Muneton was walking home from school. His attackers (the youngest one age 12) allegedly jumped him as revenge for an earlier incident, in which Muneton accidentally hit a girl with a basketball.
The superintendent at Janis Dismus Middle School says the girl led the boys to Muneton and told them "he's the one." She has also been charged. "We do know that after the girl made the comment one of the people, the boys, who was with him immediately punched him," Superintendent Dr. Richard Segall tells WCBS. "He really didn't deserve to get beat up like that because he really didn't do anything and it wasn't intentional that he hit her with a ball," student Michael Bailey said.
All but three of the students have been released to the custody of their parents, and two of them are required to wear ankle tracking bracelets. Three of the students charged with aggravated assault remain at the juvenile detention center in Paramus, and police are looking for four more suspects.
Tagged
assault
basketball
beating
David Muneton
englewood
new jersey
nj
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man killed in police-involved shooting in Moonachie, NJ
A New Jersey state trooper was involved in the incident Wednesday, according to the New Jersey attorney general's office.
By
Kaya Laterman
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 9:06 p.m. ET
Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days
Seraphina Pereira was found in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park. Rogelio Lozano-Garita pleaded not guilty to murder on Wednesday.
By
Charles Lane
News
Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days
Seraphina Pereira was found in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park. Rogelio Lozano-Garita pleaded not guilty to murder on Wednesday.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends NYC racial equity leader's term after Council pushes back on replacement
By
Elizabeth Kim
Woman charged with federal hate crimes after allegedly stabbing 2 Jewish men in NYC
By
Giulia Heyward
Ex-NYPD sergeant sentenced to 4-12 years in deadly drunken Taconic crash
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .