WAHIAWA ,Hawaii – A disturbing video of a young woman with special needs being attacked in Wahiawa has angered the community, and led to the arrest of four teenagers.
It has also prompted an apology from the parent of at least two of the suspects.
Video of the recent assault showed the victim being hit and bullied as she’s surrounded by at least four others and the person behind the camera. The victim’s family confirmed to Hawaii News Now she is 21 years old and has special needs. She is also a former Leilehua High School student.
In the video, the assault worsens when she’s on the ground as she gets kicked and punched in the head, unable to fight back.
The exact date of the assault is unclear. However it was recently posted and quickly incited anger among Wahiawa students and families. Some of them took it upon themselves to hunt down the suspects while also livestreaming their search on social media. At one point, roughly 11,000 people were watching it unfold on an Instagram live.
Wednesday night, Honolulu police confirmed the arrests of three juveniles in connection with the attack, including a 13 year old boy and two girls, aged 14 and 16. An 18 year old woman was also arrested.
Leilehua High School administrators sent out a letter saying it was an off-campus assault involving one or more of their students and they are cooperating with the police investigation.
The mother of two of the suspects who were arrested was visibly distraught while waiting outside of the Wahiawa police station Wednesday night. She expressed remorse for the incident, saying, “I just wanted to apologize to the family of the girl that got hurt in that video. And I didn’t mean for it to go this far. But I apologize for my children’s actions and I hope that you guys can forgive my kids.”
Other Leilehua students angered over the violence hope the suspects regret their decision and that the response puts an end to bullying.
“It’s not right. We’re not bullies ourselves. You shouldn’t bully nobody else, especially someone that can’t stand up for themselves,” Leilehua High School senior Journey Emond said.
HPD said charges are pending for those arrested.