13-year-old tells judge his role in attack in downtown Cincinnati

A 13-year-old boy was among the seven teenagers charged in connection with two apparently random attacks downtown in January.

In one of the incidents, which occurred on East Fifth Street on the afternoon of January 24, a 15-year-old boy was attacked by a large group.

The 15-year-old was thrown to the sidewalk. Seven attackers surrounded him, punching and kicking him repeatedly until he was motionless. Then an eighth attacker ran toward him and punched and kicked him.

On Wednesday, Judge Kari Bloom in Hamilton County Juvenile Court asked the 13-year-old to explain why he took part in the attack and why he hit and kicked the victim even though he appeared to be unconscious.

The boy, wearing a gray polo shirt, black pants and gray sandals – a uniform for youths held at the county youth center – told Bloom he was hanging out with the wrong crowd.

“I was tricked into doing this,” he said, adding, “I was not in my right mind.”

The 13-year-old, who attended Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School, also told officers that he was a member of a gang at the time.

It was one of several hearings on Wednesday for youths involved in the January incidents. The 13-year-old had already admitted his role and pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm.