Danvers police arrest teen for alleged assault of disabled person

The Danvers Police Department arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with an incident last Saturday in which a group of teenagers allegedly attacked a disabled man in Plains Park.

On Friday, Danvers police requested an arrest warrant for the juvenile in connection with the Oct. 12 attack, according to a news release. Police arrested the teen at 1:30 p.m.

The teen is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with intent to intimidate based on a disability, and assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability.

The Danvers Police Department, in coordination with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, continues to investigate the incident.

Since juveniles are involved, police say no additional details can be released at this time.

The arrest followed a heated select committee meeting Tuesday, during which the victim, Chris Anderson, known as “Ducky,” pleaded with the board.

“I was very afraid of these children,” he told the board. “It breaks my heart every day and I can’t sleep at night. It’s hard. Can you do more for me, please?

Others at the meeting demanded police action to do something about the “thugs” who have been wreaking havoc on residents and businesses in downtown Danvers for years.

Residents spoke of unruly teenagers weaving into traffic, shouting, trespassing and giving them the middle finger.

What happened to Anderson was the last straw.

“These kids can’t do what they do to people,” special board member Maureen Bernard said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We need to take control.”

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Beth Treffeisen is a feature reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime and business in the New England region.

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