A 17-year-old Keyes boy was assaulted by a group of men who rolled up to a Keyes park Saturday evening, March 11 and shot at as he ran away, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported.

The assault occurred at approximately 10:25 p.m. in Bonita Ranch Park.

The victim was meeting girls at the park when approximately six people wearing ski masks and all armed with handguns jumped out of a dark-colored car, approached him, struck him on the head and punched him when he fell to the ground. The suspects took his sweatshirt and his shoes.

“After he started running away they got ahead of him, jumped out of the car and were trying to steal his cell phone,” said Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Erich Layton. “He said a shot was fired but he wasn’t struck.”

No casings were located.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The Sheriff’s Department helicopter was unable to locate the suspects. 

If the suspects are found and arrested they would face charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.