London teen charged in swarming assault, police looking for other suspects

A London teenager is facing charges relating to an assault involving a group of masked assailants in the city's north end.

On the night of June 20, two teenaged boys were accosted by at least six other teenaged boys, police said. One of the assailants was holding what appeared to be a knife. As a result of an investigation, a 16-year-old was charged Saturday for assault causing bodily harm and disguise with intent.

The boy cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. He's set to appear in court in August.

The incident happened between 11:30 p.m. and midnight near South Wenige Drive and Rollingacres Place.

According to police, the boys were walking when they noticed two vehicles following them. As they approached a nearby park, a male got out of one of the vehicles and called the boys over.

The boys ran away but were stopped a short distance away by the group, who pinned one of the victims to the ground. The other victim attempted to defend himself while being assaulted by the suspects. The assailants fled the area in two vehicles described as a dark-coloured Honda CR-V and a smaller sedan of unknown colour.

Investigators continue to look for the other suspects. They are asking anyone with dashcam, cellphone or home surveillance footage from the area that night to come forward.

Initially the case was in the hands of the London Police Services' hate crime unit. Police said Monday that there is nothing to indicate or suggest the assault was hate motivated.