2 teens sentenced to 4 years in war vet’s beating

Two 15-year-old boys were each sentenced to four years in a juvenile facility after admitting today in Family Court to the brutal beating of a Vietnam War veteran.

Judge Kevin Dougherty gave the teens the maximum sentence after they pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, robbery and conspiracy.

One of the teens explained his motivation.

The youth who initiated the attack said he feared he was going to get beat up by his codefendant and another boy. So, to prove his toughness, he attacked Edward Schaefer, 64, at random to divert attention away from himself. His codefendant later joined in the beating.

The names of the teens are not being released because they are minors.

The brutal attack occurred on Jan. 17 as Schaefer was walking in the 5000 block of North Fifth Street near his home.

Schaefer was hospitalized with a fractured skull and jaw as well as multiple broken bones in his face.