Lynn police: Homeless beating race-related

LYNN – Police investigating the beating of a homeless man last Wednesday say six youths beat him up because of his Guatemalan ancestry.The beating left Abraham Pojoy, 30, recovering in Massachusetts General Hospital from serious injuries.Police also said they are investigating at least one other report of an attack on a Guatemalan male by a group of juvenile males.”Although no ties have been conclusively established to the juveniles under arrest, we are investigating the possibility that the attack on Mr. Pojoy was not the first perpetrated by these youths,” Lt. William Sharpe said.Police arrested a 14-year-old Lynn boy last Saturday and an 11 year old Monday and charged them with assault with intent to murder and other charges. The boys pleaded not delinquent in Juvenile Court and were ordered held in a state Department of Youth Services facility until their appearance Friday at a dangerousness hearing.Three 13 year olds and a 12 year old were arrested on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and charged with armed assault to murder, assault to maim, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and civil rights order violation resulting in injury. All four live in Lynn and pleaded not delinquent to the charges. They will join the other boys in Juvenile Court Friday for a dangerousness hearing.Police said the children used bricks, rocks, sticks and bottles to beat Pojoy while he was sleeping in a wooded area near the commuter rail tracks running past Robert McManus Field shortly before 3 p.m. last Wednesday.”The Lynn Police conducted an intensive investigation from the time of the initial response of our patrol officers to the later involvement of our officers from our Criminal Investigation Division. The combined investigative efforts of CID Lt. Thomas Reddy, detectives Thomas Mulvey, Steven Pohle and Lawrence Wentzell have resulted in the arrests of six juveniles believed to be responsible for the attack,” Sharpe said.The Item reported earlier this week the attack on Pojoy was the third involving local homeless in the past month.Sharpe said “police believe that Mr. Pojoy was attacked because of his ethnicity and not because of his social status.”Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed similar attacks or any victims of similar attacks to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 781-595-2000.