Two youths face multiple felony charges in parking lot attack at Square One Mall

The two 15-year-old boys identified as “persons of interest” in a violent attack on a woman and her children last month in a parking lot at the Square One Mall have been criminally charged, according to Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli. “The two juveniles are being charged as juveniles and not as adults,” Ricciardelli told The Saugus Advocate this week.

“They have been charged with Breaking and Entering a vehicle during the nighttime for a felony, Assault with a dangerous weapon and Assault and Battery on a child with injury. All three of these charges are felonies,” he said.

With the two youths – one from Revere, the other one from Malden – being prosecuted as juveniles, police are not expected to release their identities. They will be prosecuted in Lynn Juvenile Court.

Chief Ricciardelli appealed to the public for help in capturing the suspects. The Police Department released a copy of a surveillance photo to Greater Boston media outlets, which drew an “overwhelming response from the public” and quickly led to the identity of the juveniles, according to a Saugus Police spokesperson.

The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 24. Police responded to the mall after a woman reported that she and three minor children were assaulted while in the mall parking lot, according to a press release issued last month. The victim and children had exited the mall after shopping, returned to their vehicle, and discovered two young men who broke inside, police said.

“The victim confronted the two individuals, at which time they exited the vehicle, one of them displayed a knife, while the other punched an 11-year-old victim in the stomach,” the press release said. “The two individuals fled on foot toward the lower-level bus stop area of the mall; the victim reported to police that they laughed as they ran away. The victim then got into her car and drove to an area where she felt safe and called 911.”

Police were aware that several witnesses observed the incident.

The incident has sparked outrage among Saugus Advocate readers with the story receiving hits by 160 readers on the Advocate Newspapers Facebook page, many of them who were glad to see prosecution of the youths. Several readers called for them to be prosecuted as adults and their names made public because of the horrific nature of the crime.