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Gangs eyed in beating of SW Phila. student, 13

After being jumped and savagely beaten by a gang of young toughs Tuesday, 13-year-old Vincent James collapsed into his mother's trembling arms.

After being jumped and savagely beaten by a gang of young toughs Tuesday, 13-year-old Vincent James collapsed into his mother's trembling arms.

"After I got the call and found out what happened, I came to the front door," said Kiesha Pratt, Vincent's mother.

"I heard Vinny call, 'Mom,' and I ran out, and he just collapsed into my arms and then I called 911," Pratt said.

Yesterday, Vinny, an avid sports fan and junior block captain on Bonaffon Street near Dicks Avenue, Southwest Philadelphia, recounted the frightening details of his attack while his mother was working hard to make sure her son's attackers are caught.

"I got off the 108 bus at 65th and Woodland with my girlfriend and some of her friends," Vincent said, hours after being released from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Suddenly, Vinny said, his girlfriend of three months and her friends told him to run.

"I just kept walking and Nate came up on his bike," Vinny said of his attacker, whose last name he didn't know.

"All he said to me was, 'Are you Vinny?' and I didn't answer him, I just kept trying to walk away, but he walked in front of me," Vinny said.

"I knew that he was going to hit me because he did the same thing to my cousin a couple of weeks ago, so I grabbed him and slammed him to the ground first," Vinny said.

Vinny, a teen with aspirations of becoming an architect, said Nate's friends joined in the attack, throwing him to the ground and punching and kicking him.

"My neighbor's brother drove past and saw what was going on and drove me away in his truck," Vinny said.

Bruised, battered and bloodied, Vinny was taken home and later was taken to Children's Hospital by ambulance.

There, he lost and regained consciousness and doctors told Pratt that he had a blood clot in his brain.

Police said Vinny was jumped by as many as six students, most of whom attend his school, George Pepper Middle School, at 84th Street near Lyons Avenue, and who they believe were retaliating because of an argument before Christmas.

"We believe the motive stems from a prior incident that happened on Dec. 21," said Lt. John Walker, of Southwest Detectives.

Walker said that Vinny's cousin, Quintel, wore a blue sweatshirt to school on Dec. 21 and some of his classmates, who claim to be affiliated with the Bloods gang, saw that as a sign of disrespect.

Bloods generally wear red and Crips generally wear blue.

Wearing a rival gang color can be a sign of disrespect.

"The victim is not affiliated with any group," Walker said.

"Right now, we are working with our criminal intelligence and the school district to look at who the kids are and whether or not they are affiliated with any organized or unorganized groups," Walker said.

Fernando Gallard, a school-district spokesman, said officials are working with the police and once the investigation is complete, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the students responsible for the attack.

"Proper disciplinary action will be taken, up to and including expulsion," Gallard said.

In the meantime, Vinny said he just wants life to return to normal.

"I just can't wait to start healing and get better," he said.

Added his mother: "He's just concerned with his attendance at school. That's Vinny." *