11 teens charged in 2 attacks in Mt. Prospect after victims lured with dating app, police say

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (WLS) -- Nearly a dozen juveniles are charged in connection with two violent incidents over the summer.

Police said the teens allegedly used a gay dating app back in July to lure their victims

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

A 41-year-old and 23-year-old man reported being abused by the group of teens and having their vehicles damaged. There were two incidents that happened back in early July, in the 900-block of West Lincoln Street and at 606 Northwest Highway.

One incident happened near this gas station, and another in a residential area in another part of town. The victims told investigators that a group of teenagers beat them and damaged their vehicles.

Eleven juveniles took part in one or both incidents, police said.

Police say security cameras at a Mount Prospect gas station helped investigators identify the teenage suspects.

Mount Prospect police said they conducted an extensive investigation before charges were filed against eleven teenagers who allegedly participated in one or both incidents. Those charges, which are all felonies, include aggravated battery, Criminal damage to property and mob action.

One of the teens was charged with a hate crime.

Activists, including Andy Thayer with the Gay Liberation Network, say these crimes are disturbing.

Police say they learned the teens got the idea for the plan from a viral social media trend they saw online. Similar attacks based on social media apps have happened in other countries.

Police said one of the victims was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The teenaged suspects all turned themselves in and were taken to the juvenile detention center last month. The police chief is urging parents to talk to their teenagers about the seriousness of following these social media trends.

"We are asking parents to take these incidents as an opportunity to talk with their teenage children about the seriousness of actively participating in these types of trends they see on social media," Police Chief Michael Eterno said.