Boston street sweeper attacked at work

BOSTON -- A street cleaner was attacked early Friday morning for no apparent reason.

Police were called around 1 a.m. Friday morning to find a street sweeper sitting on a curb. The man had been beaten around the upper body and also had a football thrown at his face.

Peiro Procopio, 26, and 23-year-old Craig Strasnick tried their best to hide their faces while in court on Friday. They are being charged with attacking a street sweeper who was simply trying to do his job.

“The kid swung from the right side and hit me in my eye,” said Warren McMaster. “I have bruises on my arm. I had a big punch mark on the back of my back.”

The 20-year-old was driving his street cleaning machine near Sudbury Street and Service Road Downtown when the suspects allegedly blocked his path with their white Cadillac Escalade and attacked him.

“This kid went around the sweeper and this one kid through a football at me and I didn’t see the other kid. He blind-sided me in my eye. This other kid hit me with a hammer. I was attacked, viciously attacked.”

McMaster does not know why they attacked him.

The suspects left in their Escalade and McMaster described the vehicle to police. Police soon spotted and stopped the Escalade. The victim was brought over and made an identification of the suspects - a hammer and football were found in the vehicle.

Both men are charged with one count each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Procopio, who allegedly wielded the hammer, was given a higher bail of $2500 and taken into custody. His lawyer said he is a bank manager for State Street Bank.

Strasnick’s bail was set for $1000. He posted bail when he was arrested. He then left court with no comment.

McMaster has worked as a street cleaner for three years and has never encountered anything like this.

(Copyright (c) 2010 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)