TORONTO — Hamilton police have charged a 12-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman after a 59-year-old man supervising Air Cadets was assaulted inside a restaurant at Centre Mall on Sunday afternoon, leaving him with life-altering injuries.The incident began at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 1 at a restaurant at 1223 Barton St. E. Two male youths approached a group of young Air Cadets from a local squadron who were selling Remembrance Day poppies outside the restaurant and blew a loud air horn directly into their ears, according to a Hamilton Police Service news release.The 59-year-old supervisor followed the youths into the restaurant to confront them. A struggle ensued. An adult woman who was not initially involved in the altercation then intervened, assaulted the supervisor and caused him to fall to the ground. One of the youths struck the man several times before both the youths and the woman left the scene before police arrived.Officers found the supervisor inside the restaurant suffering from serious injuries. Hamilton Paramedic Services transported him to hospital where police described the injuries as life-altering.A short time later, officers located the two youths at a nearby retail store after receiving reports of an unrelated disturbance. The 12-year-old was arrested and charged with assault level one and aggravated assault. Police then located and arrested the 48-year-old woman; she was charged with aggravated assault.The assault occurred less than two weeks before Remembrance Day, when Air Cadets and other youth volunteers across Ontario routinely help distribute poppies to support veterans and military families. Hamilton police have not indicated whether the initial air-horn incident or the subsequent assault is being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.
