Witnesses urged to come forward after family attacked while leaving Square One Mall
By Todd Kazakiewich
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SAUGUS, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Saugus police are investigating after a family was attacked as they left the Square One Mall on Monday night.
Angela Rodriguez said she went to the mall with her family to buy a puppy for her son, Isaac, who just turned 11.
Rodriguez said she left the mall with her sons and grandson at 8 p.m. As they got closer to her vehicle, she said she saw two masked men, one of whom was already inside. She said her only instinct was to protect her kids.
“My other two kids they were crying. Isaac came to defend me. (One man had a knife),” Rodriguez said. “But I said, ‘In Jesus name you have to go away from us. Jesus is with us. You have to go away.’ I try to protect my kids.”
Isaac said one of the men punched him in the stomach before they fled the area.
“I was trying to protect my mom, but I wasn’t protecting (my stomach area), so he punched me so hard and it hurt me so badly,” Isaac said.
Saugus police said the men, who were about 18 to 20 years old, were all dressed in black and wearing black beanie style hats and masks, were last seen heading toward the closed Sears Automotive building on Route 1.
Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli said the department is investigating and urged anyone who witnessed the incident to call police.
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