A teenager has been charged after a security officer was allegedly attacked and left hospitalised at a popular shopping centre.
The 66-year-old guard approached a group of young people at the Westfield on Foxwell Rd, Coomera, on the Gold Coast, about 6.40pm on Tuesday as part of his job, asking them to move on.
“An argument occurred, and then the assault occurred immediately after that,” Detective Inspector Mark Mooney, from the Gold Coast Criminal Investigation Branch, said
Police allege two males assaulted the security guard, punching him several times in the head before he fell to the ground.
“We believe he sustained the head injury from falling on the ground, but also from the punches that he received,” Mooney said.
He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition, where he remained on Wednesday.
“He’s sustained a concussion and obviously a laceration to his head, but otherwise he’s in good health, but has remained in hospital since that occurred,” Mooneye said.
“Especially a man of that age, a 66-year-old, falling down, hitting his head on the concrete.”
A 15-year-old Eagleby boy has been charged with serious assault of a person over 60 years of age.
He was due to appear in Southport Children’s Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon and has been remanded in custody.
Police are continuing to investigate and are working to identify and locate the second person allegedly involved in the assault.
The group, believed to include males and females aged between 14 and 18, fled the shopping center after the incident.
Police believe the alleged offenders ran towards Coomera train station and may have used public transport to leave the area.
“We’ve identified a couple of the people in the group, but we haven’t fully spoken to them or got their full details at this point in time,” Mooney said.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant vision to come forward.
“We’d like to have a conversation with them and identify exactly what role they played in the lead up, during and after,” Mooney said.
“This is a serious incident that has left a 66-year-old man in hospital and our thoughts are with him and his family.
“We treat all acts of violence seriously.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe while they’re going about their daily activities, including those who are simply doing their jobs.”