WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioYoungstown police charge 4 teenagers in violent brawl caught on tape

Youngstown police charge 4 teenagers in violent brawl caught on tape

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown police have charged four teenagers with serious criminal charges that include aggravated rioting and criminal trespassing after a violent fight involving more than a dozen people was videotaped and posted on You Tube.

The brutal brawl began with a fist fight between two boys on a south side street. But the violence escalated when bystanders joined in.

In one portion of the video, as the fight spills on to the grounds of Taft Elementary School, you see one teen jump with both feet on to the neck of another boy. The boy desperately tries to escape as a mob grabs him, kicking him in the face and stomach.

Police have named the suspects, who now face felony charges in the March 17th school yard brawl. The suspects are 18-year-old Blake Valentin, 16-year-old Jose Valentin, 14-year-old Emanuel Valentin, and 15-year-old Jeraine Watson.

Investigators have determined that the brawl erupted when several groups, who live in the area, began fighting over the use of basketball courts in the neighborhood.

Police say several of the people involved have had minor skirmishes in the past and they believe that led up to the March 17th incident.