Man could lose vision in one eye after alleged attack over pizza

By JT Moodee Lockman

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Federal Hill man could lose vision in one eye after he was allegedly attacked by a group of people Saturday, Nov. 23 as he was bringing home dinner.

John Berardi said he was eating a slice of pizza and walking home around 11 p.m. on South Charles Street when three young men approached him, demanding his food.

According to Berardi, they were wearing masks and holding brooms and a pole when they began demanding the pizza. They eventually threatened him.

“Then I heard them again behind me, now this time demanding that I give them the pizza, threatening me with whatever they had,” Berardi recalled.

He said he handed over the pizza and turned to walk away when one of the suspects swung and hit him in the face with a pole.

According to Berardi, the group ran off as he was bleeding and unable to see out of his right eye.

Berardi said it wasn’t long before a group came out of a nearby house. He asked them for help, and they were able to call the police and Berardi’s fiancé, Chrissy Costill.

“Terrifying, it was completely shocking and didn’t feel real at all,” Costill said remembering the call.

Baltimore police said they responded to the assault in the 1400 block of South Carles Street around 11:15 p.m. where they found the 33-year-old suffering from a cut to his forehead.

Police said, Berardi was approached by a group of unidentified Black men, one of whom was armed with a broom. Berardi believes his attackers may be teens or young men.

After a night in the hospital and several follow-up visits, Berardi said doctors are unsure how much of his vision will be restored.

“It’s not good,” Berardi said. “I probably have about 10% vision in my right eye.”

Berardi said he has a hole in his right eye that may not heal and a tear in his iris that will require surgery to fix. His nose was fractured and his forehead was injured in the attack.

He is still struggling to understand why the group attacked him.

“Was there another reason behind it? I don’t know. Is it just fun to do for somebody, is it part of something bigger? I don’t know,” Berardi said.

“Why do I still have my phone and my wallet,” he added. “I didn’t really understand that. I still don’t understand it.”

Police said no arrests have been made in this case.

If Berardi learned anything from that night, it was the severity of juvenile crime in the city.

According to Berardi, police said they are searching for the suspects, but mentioned that in some cases, juveniles are released back to their parents or guardians instead of being held.

“I don’t think I was aware it was as bad as it is,” Berardi said. “I assumed that if you did something like this to somebody there was consequences in some capacity, even if you were a juvenile. The fact that you can do something like this and not get caught, or even get caught and get released, which is even worse, that’s a major problem.”

Baltimore City has seen a surge in juvenile crime this year.

According to Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, juvenile crime arrests are up 146% compared to 2023.

Bates recently pointed to truancy as part of the reason for the spike in youth crime.

City and state officials have been working to address the surge, and a new Maryland law that went into effect on November 1 made it possible for children between ages 10 and 12 to be charged with illegal gun possession, car theft and sexual offenses.

According to Bates, the new law increases transparency and accountability within the juvenile justice system.

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