Police say 32-year-old Rizzo Mertz had just wrapped up what was otherwise a great Pride Weekend. He was walking on Chestnut Street between 3rd and 4th streets a little after midnight when he spotted a group of about eight teenagers.
Mertz told CBS 3 Eyewitness News that some of the kids in the group were messing around and pushing each other, but he didn't give them any thought. That's when one of those teens snuck up behind him and punched him in the head.
"The only reason why I wrestled for my bookbag, because it was Pride Day, and my Pride flag was in that backpack," he said.
Wrestling over the backpack actually helped Mertz off the ground, and after a few more minutes of struggling, he was able to get away. The attack left Mertz with a broken jaw, stitches on his forehead, and some other minor injuries.
He told CBS 3 he doesn't belive he was targeted because of his sexual orientation. He says he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, he said this is the second time he has been attacked on Philadelphia streets.
Police think the teens may have been involved in another incident at nearby store. Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.
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