A Phoenix teenager was assaulted and seriously injured by a group of high school boys shortly after she got off the light rail.
Ayane Mefford was taking the train home from Central High School last week when she noticed that multiple teenage boys were stalking her. Eventually, the boys began making sexual advances toward her.
When she got off at her stop, she asked her male friend to walk home with her.
'We were walking, I'm trying to calm my friend down, because I did see them and I'm like, "Just calm down, you know, to keep walking,"' Mefford told ABC15.
'We're telling them, "just go home" you know, we don't want nothing and that's when everything started going downhill.'
Mefford's mother, Lucero Orozco, posted a video about the incident and claimed that there were six boys that attacked her daughter and her friend.
'My apartment complex recorded everything, from the corner where they got off at the metro to the front of the entrance of my apartment building where they assaulted them,' Orozco said in the video that has since gotten 4.6 million views.
'They made it literally five feet from the door.'
Mefford said she was hit in the head before collapsing to the ground, while her friend was beaten by the other five boys in the street, according to Orozco.
Ayanne Mefford was attacked by a group of six boys who are fellow students at Central High School in Phoenix, according to Lucero Orozco, her mother
Mefford sustained serious injuries to her neck and back that will require physical therapy
Orozco said Mefford was assaulted after getting off the light rail. The boys allegedly followed her and her male friend, who was also beaten
Phoenix Police is investigating the incident, which occurred near Camelback Road and 19th Avenue.
The male friend who was beaten eventually came to and ran to Orozco's apartment, letting her know about what happened.
Orozco ran to where her daughter was and found her seizing. Mefford was taken to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with serious injuries to her neck and back.
'She does need physical therapy. She needs back injections from the trauma of what happened,' Orozco said.
Orozco hopes posting the video about her daughter's assault will lead to justice and accountability for the boys who allegedly participated.
On Wednesday, the Phoenix Union High School District released a statement.
'The Phoenix Union High School District is aware of the off-campus incident allegedly involving students from Central High School. The District will always prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students and we are fully cooperating with the police investigation into what took place,' the school said.
The Valley Metro also said it is aware of the incident and is 'working with the Phoenix Police Department to support the investigation'.
Orozco also set up a GoFundMe to pay for her daughter's medical bills and other expenses, such as attorney fees and therapy costs. The fundraiser has brought in nearly $10,000 as of early Friday morning.