People in Pittsburgh neighborhood worried about violence after teen brutally mugged, hospitalized

PITTSBURGH — People living in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood said they’ve reached a tipping point and something needs to be done before someone is killed. That concern comes after a 13-year-old boy was brutally mugged in broad daylight and had his head slammed into the ground.

“He was surrounded by like five or six kids, he had nowhere to go. He couldn’t run if he wanted to,” said Chip Graham.

Graham witnessed the fight that left Jayden Augustine in a hospital bed with a brain bleed, multiple broken bones and more. Augustine was apparently walking to the restaurant where his mother works to eat dinner when the group of kids surrounded him. They asked for money, he said no and surveillance cameras captured the kids jumping him.

“It shows him surrounded and it shows a kid wrap his arms around him, pick him up and drop him on his head,” Graham said. “We ran outside to see if we could intervene and it was too late. He was crumpled up on the road.”

Augustine’s wallet and phone were stolen.

“Seeing a child that’s the same age as my children and a lot of kids I know in the neighborhood get hurt in that way, hurts me to the core,” said one mother who lived nearby. “We’ve now had a death in the neighborhood, multiple beatings, vandalism. It’s every night.”

Within hours police arrested the 13-year-old seen on video throwing Augustine onto his head on charges of robbery aggravated assault and robbery.

“Somebody could get killed. They’re out of control. Parents aren’t doing anything about their children,” Graham said.

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