Two Illinois teenagesr have been charged with mob action for allegedly attacked several women in two western Illinois counties outside St. Louis, Missouri.
Charges filed on Wednesday by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office say that Hayley A. Ditzler and Olivia J. Brown, both 18, acted together in the attack on April 18, KDSK reported.
Court documents say that a mob action charge is filed when a defendant engages in the “knowing use of force or violence disturbing the public peace by two or more persons acting together and without authority of law,” according to Law&Crime, which obtained a copy of the complaint against the two teens.
One woman told KDSK that the incident began for her on Friday night when she was hanging around with friends outside Granite City and “saw a whole bunch of boys with ski masks on.”
“I saw Olivia and Hailey and just drove away,” Evelyn Berentz told the station.
The next day, the two teenagers — former friends, she said — called her to a home because they wanted to apologize. Instead, she was attacked.
“Hailey covered my mouth from behind me and was telling me if I screamed, she would end my life right there,” Berentz said.
Berentz was taken into the woods and kicked and punched on several parts of her body by the two teens, who reportedly filmed the incident.
Court documents say the 18-year-olds used a similar tactic to attack another woman.
Berentz filed for a restraining order against the two teens as investigators probed the incident.
KDSK said that authorities in St. Clair County are also investigating incidents allegedly involving Ditzler and Brown.
