PHOENIX — A Phoenix teen is recovering after an assault allegedly involving other high school students as she walked home from the light rail last week.
Phoenix police said they are investigating the incident, which happened near Camelback Road and 19th Avenue on April 8.
Ayane Mefford and her mother, Lucero Orozco, said Mefford rode home from Central High School on the light rail. She said she felt increasingly uncomfortable when multiple teenage boys began following her.
While leaving the Valley Metro stop, Mefford asked a friend to help walk her home.
“We were walking, I’m trying to calm my friend down, because I did see them and I’m like, ‘Just calm down, you know, to keep walking,’” Mefford said. “We’re telling them, ‘just go home’ you know, we don’t want nothing and that’s when everything started going downhill.”
Mefford said she felt a blow to her head before hitting the ground. The whole incident was caught on camera. Her friend ended up in the street.
“I was so scared,” Mefford said. “I was like, oh my God, like, just wanted to go home.”
Orozco said she ran to the area to find her daughter collapsed and seizing. Mefford was taken to the hospital.
“She does need physical therapy. She needs back injections from the trauma of what happened,” Orozco said.
Orozco posted her daughter’s story online. It has gained millions of views worldwide.
“We’re going to get justice. I made the video for awareness,” Orozco said. “It made it to Mexico, New Zealand, Venezuela. Because it’s happening everywhere, not just here, it’s happening everywhere.”
She said her top priority is helping her daughter settle into her “new normal” as she recovers from injuries to her neck and back.
For years, ABC15 has extensively covered teen violence issues across the Valley.
Orozco said she has a message for any teens engaging in violence.
“It’s not worth your future. It’s not worth it,” Orozco said. “There are other ways to handle things. Kids need to know that it’s not okay.”
The Phoenix Union High School District released a statement on Wednesday.
“The Phoenix Union High School District is aware of the off-campus incident allegedly involving students from Central High School. The District will always prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students and we are fully cooperating with the police investigation into what took place.”
The Valley Metro also saying they’re aware of the incident.
“…we are working with the Phoenix Police Department to support the investigation of an incident that escalated off Valley Metro property. Field Security Officers were deployed in the area at the time and continue to be deployed there.”
An online fundraiser has been created to help with Mefford’s recovery.
