A 16-year-old Bronx resident accused of beating a Chinese food deliveryman was described as an honors student by his mother. Charles Codrington was arraigned today, and his mother Carmen Codrington said, "Honest, he's a good boy, he just fell in with a bad crowd." However, prosecutors pointed out that the teen is seen on surveillance video punching the victim at least twice and the call to the Chinese restaurant was made from his cell phone.
Codrington and a 15-year-old turned themselves into the police after surveillance video of the Morningside Heights attack was released. The video showed three suspect beating the deliveryman, with a fourth person acting as a lookout. The group flees, but not before one of the suspects throws the Chinese food at the deliveryman. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara, who noted the footage "shows a vicious attack," asked Codrington's mother if he obeyed her and she replied that most of the time, he does, "Just taking out the garbage -- he just takes his time. Or I tell him to be in at 9 o'clock and he's in at 9:15!" Judge Ferrara set his bail at $1,000, while he set the 15-year-old bail at $5,000.
The deliveryman suffered various facial injuries in the attack. And Carmen Codrington told reporters, "He was following the wrong child. The child he was following has done this before... This is the first time that my son has been in trouble."
