Chelmsford restaurant boy suffers injuries as youths fled
A three-year-old boy suffered severe facial injuries after getting in the way of four teenagers who allegedly fled from a restaurant without paying.
The boy, who was with his parents, was struck out of the way as the youths ran from Wildwood in Chelmsford on Friday.
The child was taken to Broomfield Hospital where he underwent surgery.
A 17-year-old student, from Stanway, was arrested and charged with assaulting the boy and making off without payment.
He is being held in custody and will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Three other 17-year-old students were also arrested near to the town's Riverside Retail Park.
One was subsequently charged with using threatening behaviour to cause fear of unlawful violence against the three-year-old boy's father and making off without payment.
Another was also charged with making off without payment. Both were bailed to appear before Chelmsford Youth Court in December.
The fourth arrested man was bailed pending further enquiries.