Baltimore CBS Local
August 24, 2014
A popular downtown Baltimore neighborhood is on edge after a second brutal attack in just a week. Police say this time they caught one of the attackers.
The victim has several stitches, but it could have been a lot worse. He narrowly avoided a stab wound like the ones the victim in Sunday’s attack suffered.
Sidney Joyner, 19, is charged in Thursday night’s attack on a lifeguard from the Otterbein Swim Club. Police say he was walking in the 100 block of W. Montgomery Street, where he says he was approached by three young African-American teenagers. One of them screamed out “hey white boy!”
“He turned around and one of the males threw a rock. The rock hit him in the lip, causing the injury. One of the suspects then approached our victim, produced a pocket knife and lunged at the victim,” said Sgt. Jarron Jackson, Baltimore City Police.
The victim was able to dodge the blade and began screaming for help. That’s when the suspects ran away.
Immediately after the attack, police began canvassing the area. It was just a few blocks away in the Sharp Leadenhall area they found a teenager matching the description of one of the suspects.
The victim identified Joyner as his knife-wielding attacker. The two other suspects remain at large.
The incident on Montgomery Street follows a similar attack on Sunday in the 1200 block of Wall Street in Federal Hill that left 24-year-old Sal Schittino, Jr. with stab wounds to the heart, liver and lungs.
“They’re out to kill somebody, not to hurt them,” his father, Sal Schittino, Sr., said.
Schittino, Sr. tells WJZ his son’s condition is improving. The four attackers who stole his wallet are still at large, but his father is glad to hear of an arrest in Thursday’s attack.
“Maybe they got at least one of them off the street and hopefully they keep him off the street, you know,” he said.
Police say they have no evidence to suggest that the suspect in Thursday night’s attack had anything to do with the stabbing nearby on Sunday night.
Sidney Joyner now faces charges of robbery and aggravated assault.
Anyone with information on either of the attacks in Federal Hill can remain anonymous and even earn reward money by calling Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.