Quain and a neighbor were walking home from a Schnucks store on South Grand Boulevard about 11:40 p.m. on Oct. 21. They were a few blocks from their apartment building when a group of teens surprised them near the Carpenter branch public library.

The attackers walked off as Mayor Francis Slay and his bodyguard, city police Sgt. Blaise Peluso, happened by in their car, spotted the aftermath of the attack and pulled over to help.

Slay said he is "disappointed and angry" about the case being dismissed and takes it personally because he and Peluso were there after the attack.

"I feel for the young girl," Slay said. "I mean, clearly, she was intimidated (into) not testifying. We need to support witnesses like we support victims."

Slay added, "The more we band together and support the victims and not tolerate this kind of stuff as a community, the more these thugs can get put away and be punished the way they deserve."

Quain, who was knocked unconscious in the attack, was unable to identify the teens who assaulted him, nor were any of the people who stopped to help him.