A 17-year-old Ontario boy suffered a fractured skull and other injuries when he was brutally attacked and robbed after an afternoon of playing video games at his friend’s house turned violent, the teen and his family said Wednesday.
Jared Watts and three other teenagers were playing Xbox games on Sunday when he said the mood in the room suddenly changed.
“I realized when he looked at me with that cold stare that something was going to go on,” Watts recalled.
He said two people pinned him to the ground while his 18-year-old “friend” repeatedly punched him in the face and head, adding that he became unconscious after about the seventh blow.
The teen told KTLA he owed one of the guys in the room $10, and that the attack was over the money.
“Unbelievable. As 11 people watched,” said David Watts, Jared’s father. “They robbed him, they beat him, fractured his skull.”
Watts’ parents told KTLA he was found in a pool of his own blood on the sidewalk outside the house.
Jared Watts suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull and nose. He also could end up losing vision in one of his eyes, according to his family, emphasizing their son has a long recovery ahead of him due to all the trauma he suffered.
Meanwhile, the Ontario Police Department confirmed they arrested the 18-year-old, but did not identify him.
“I would love nothing else but to see that boy – that man – spend as much time in prison as possible,” David Watts said.
He also expressed hope that anyone else who was involved or watched is arrested.
Still, the father added that he is grateful his son is alive despite the violent encounter in an environment that this son thought was safe.
He choked up as he delivered this message to others: “End bullying. No child should ever be hurt.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for the teen’s medical expenses.