KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Seven teenagers are facing charges after an attack at West Town Mall over the weekend.
On Saturday night, Knoxville Police said officers responded to the mall after a man and woman said they had been assaulted and robbed. The man told investigators they had been shopping at the mall when he was attacked with punches and kicks and robbed by between six and eight younger males.
The woman said she saw the alleged attack and tried to intervene but was instead attacked and robbed as well, according to KPD.
Seven male teens between the ages of 13 and 16 were taken into custody shortly after, police said.
According to KPD, deputies with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office saw four of the teens exit a Hyundai Genesis in the parking lot of the Walgreen’s on Kingston Pike across the street. Officers took them into custody at the Taco Bell nearby.
Deputies said they also saw two teens driving a Chevy Silverado pickup truck that was following the Hyundai Genesis out of the mall parking lot earlier so they pulled them over and took them into custody.
KPD said the seventh and final suspect was taken into custody after he was seen running away from where the Hyundai Genesis had been abandoned.
Police said both the Hyundai Genesis and the Chevy Silverado were reported stolen out of the Chattanooga and North Georgia area.
"All seven suspects were positively identified by the two victims, while two of the suspects were found to have active warrants out of Hamilton County," KPD said.
An employee who witnessed the attack said she was at a meeting for holiday shopping when she heard screaming.
Morgan Raufer said she saw what appeared to be a bunch of teens reflected in the store windows near the Victoria's Secret and Journey Kidz stores. She then said she realized they had snatched shopping bags from a young woman and tore her backpack off her back.
Raufer said another mall employee yelled, 'What's going on,' when they ran and she called 9-1-1.
"The girl came over. My employer helped her off the ground. She had blood all over her mouth and face, and you could tell that she was hurt. It was really sad," she said. "Being in the mall, I've never felt unsafe... but that, that made me a little weary."
10News has reached out to West Town Mall about the incident. At the moment, they can only say they're referring all inquiries to KPD.