‘I Fought Back’: Woman Mugged, Assaulted by Minors in Oakland

The incident, which occurred in broad daylight, reportedly took place near Jack London Square in Oakland on Dec. 21.

The victim, identified only as Iona, believes she was targeted for being Asian. She believed her attackers were between 15 and 18 years old.

“They punched me. I fought back with them,” Iona told NBC Bay Area.

The suspects had a getaway driver. They managed to flee with Iona’s phone and wallet.

Hours after the attack, three boys were arrested in the city after a high-speed chase in a stolen car. As it turned out, two of them are aged 12 — including the driver — and one is 14.

All three suspects were arrested for robbery, felony battery and conspiracy to commit a crime. The 12-year-olds were also arrested for giving false information, with the driver facing additional accusations of evading police and vehicle theft.

The boys have been taken to the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. The attack on Iona remains under investigation.

“They’re juveniles AND under [the] current political climate, these kids wouldn’t be charged anyway. They’ve got nothing to lose,” one Facebook user commented.

Feature Image Screenshots via NBC Bay Area