HATE CRIME

Washington Teens Accused of Beating Muslim Boy for an Hour

The teens, who have been charged with hate crimes, allegedly threatened to kill the victim’s family if he talked about the beating.

Two teens beat a 13-year-old Muslim boy senselessly for an hour as they taunted him about his religion, leaving him concussed, bruised, and traumatized, prosecutors in Washington state said. Now the two are being charged with a hate crime. One of the teens was walking with the victim when the second assailant jumped out of hiding and began attacking the victim, according to a statement obtained by The Everett Herald. The two allegedly dragged the victim to different spots and hurled Islamophobic taunts at him, warning him they would kill his family if he talked about the incident. The attack lasted an hour before the teen escaped, Lynwood prosecutors said. His parents told police the attackers frequently taunted him, calling his mother a “Muslim terrorist.” The teens, who have since withdrawn from school, were also charged with second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment.