CINCINNATI, Ohio – Cincinnati police have apprehended two teenagers accused of involvement in two violent attacks in downtown Cincinnati. According to authorities, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl have been taken into custody in connection with at least one of the assaults.
The first attack occurred near the intersection of E. 6th and Walnut streets on January 23, wherein a group allegedly ambushed a man from behind, assaulted him, and stole some of his belongings. The following day, surveillance footage captured a group of teenagers attacking a 15-year-old just one block away near the intersection of E. 5th and Main streets. Fortunately, neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries.
Police had been searching for the two teenagers in connection to both attacks before their apprehension. In court, it was revealed that the man assaulted in the first incident had been walking home from work when the suspects attacked him. The group of teens had reportedly just come from a nearby Chipotle, where a separate disturbance had been reported. The 16-year-old boy hurt in the second incident had allegedly boarded the wrong bus before falling victim to the assault.
In addition to the two arrested teenagers, two other individuals, an 18-year-old and another 14-year-old, have also been apprehended in connection to the first assault. Both have been charged with robbery. According to court records, they were released under the supervision of a juvenile court judge with an electronic ankle monitor.
Amid these developments, Cincinnati’s Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) president and the Hamilton County prosecutor criticized the leniency of judges in their sentencing of suspects charged with violent felonies. They emphasized the need for accountability and consequences for those involved in such crimes, especially when the incidents are captured on video.
Authorities have urged anyone with information about the incidents or the assailants to contact the Cincinnati Police Department’s Detective Blank at 513-352-5442 or to submit an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.