Oak Harbor teen charged after group assault on 14-year-old boy

The video spread fast enough to ignite a stabbing rumor, but Island County court records say the injury was different and still serious: a 14-year-old boy was left with a fractured orbital socket after what police described as a group assault near South Beeksma Drive in Oak Harbor.

The case landed in Island County Superior Court on Monday, where Judge Christon Skinner found probable cause for second-degree assault and second-degree malicious mischief against a 16-year-old Oak Harbor boy. Prosecutors said he was the primary aggressor and was armed with a knife during the confrontation.

Police said the attack unfolded May 1 in an area where about 20 teenagers were gathered. Multiple 911 callers reported a group beating a kid, and officers arriving at the scene found the victim bleeding and confused. Witnesses said the violence started near the crosswalks and continued along the Freund Marsh trail.

Court records say the online video helped fuel rumors that the boy had been stabbed because it included a stretcher scene as well as the beating. One clip reportedly shows the suspect punching the younger boy, throwing him down and striking him repeatedly in the face while other teens yelled for him to stop. Another video shows a bystander trying to step in.

Investigators also said the suspect allegedly smashed the victim’s cell phone and that a knife was passed to another teen as the group ran away. Police said the boy was targeted because some of the teens believed he had sexually assaulted a girl, though the records do not show that claim was proven.

Deputy Prosecutor Michael Safstrom asked the court to keep meaningful bail in place, saying other students were reportedly afraid of retaliation. Defense attorneys argued for less, saying the teen is enrolled in online high school and earning straight As. Skinner set bail at $500.

The victim’s injuries underscore why the case has drawn wider attention in Oak Harbor, where school-age violence can move from a private dispute to a public safety problem in minutes when phones, social media and a crowd are involved. Oak Harbor Public Schools describes its mission as providing a challenging, supportive and innovative learning environment, but this case shows how quickly a conflict among minors can spill outside school walls and into the justice system.

The case is one of at least two Oak Harbor juvenile matters filed in Island County Superior Court that same day, a sign that multiple youth prosecutions are moving through the county at once. Most court records filed since 2007 are available at the courthouse, and the statewide court search is updated about every 24 hours, meaning details in juvenile cases can continue to develop as the case advances.