Annapolis police say they have no suspects in the violent robbery of an Eastport teenager who was mugged and beaten with what police believe was a hammer while walking near his home Monday afternoon.
Charlie White, 15, a sophomore at St. Mary's High School, was 50 feet from his family's house on Boucher Avenue when a man attacked him, striking him several times in the head and stealing his cell phone and one dollar, said police spokesman Officer Hal Dalton.
Wounded, bleeding and disoriented, White was found lying facedown on the sidewalk by two passers-by, Dalton said. White, who had several large gashes, was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore and was released several hours later.
The teenager's mother, Gina White, said yesterday that doctors used 40 stitches to close the wounds on her son's head. He is traumatized and doesn't remember much about the incident, she said.
Charlie White told city police Monday that he had been out for his regular stroll on the quiet residential street just before the assault and that he was listening to his MP3 player when he was attacked from behind by a man wielding a hammer.
Dalton said the couple who came to the teenager's aid saw a man running from the scene but were unable to give police more than a vague description.
Though no weapon was found, doctors told White's family and police that his injuries could have been inflicted by a blunt object such as a hammer, and that the padding of his hooded sweatshirt and jacket protected him from more serious head trauma.
Dalton called the assault "pretty unusual" because of the weapon used and the location of the attack, noting that most robberies in the Annapolis area occur closer to shopping areas.
If apprehended, the attacker could face a number of charges, including first-degree assault, robbery and, possibly, attempted murder, Dalton said.
Gina White said she is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the assailant's arrest and conviction.