A Utah man faces an aggravated child abuse charge after allegedly beating a 14-year-old who rang his doorbell and ran, while the man’s heavy-set friend pinned the teen.
Marshal Aho, 23, was arrested Wednesday after a teen said he and friends “ding-dong ditched” a string of Riverton townhomes, KSL.com reports.
Aho and two others, who had allegedly been in the garage of one of the targeted townhomes, ran after the teens.
The 14-year-old told police that he fell on some rocks near a sidewalk, at which point one of the men, later identified as Aho, allegedly pushed his face into the gravel and began kicking and punching him, the outlet reports.
The victim stated that Aho punched him in the back of the head multiple times and kicked him in the side.
As the assault continued, another man, estimated to weigh between 300 and 400 pounds, reportedly sat on the teen’s back.
Aho allegedly asked the teen, “Do you want to die tonight?” and “Do you want to meet Jesus tonight?”
The victim also claimed that Aho instructed one of his friends to grab a gun before slamming the boy’s head into the rocks, per the report.
The larger male was said to have struck the teen’s back with a hammering motion. As the assault ended, Aho allegedly stomped on the boy’s head.
The victim later told police he feared for his life during the attack.
He reportedly sustained a concussion, broken braces, cuts and bruises to his ribs and forehead, as well as additional “bumps and bruises to his head,” stomach, and back, investigators told the outlet.
Police traced the teen’s doorbell-ditch targets, ran vehicle plates, and identified Aho, whose address matched one of the homes. The teen then picked him out of a photo lineup.
Aho has a court appearance scheduled for later this month, according to the outlet.
The Independent has contacted the Riverton Police Department for comment.
