Three boys, age 13 and 14, 'killed homeless man in game of knockout after stalking him and punching him in the head'



Three New Jersey boys, two age 13 and one 14, have been arrested and charged with killing a homeless man after allegedly stalking and killing him in what police are calling a game of 'knockout.'

The teens are accused of following Ralph Santiago, 46, and punching him in the back of the head in broad daylight in Hoboken, New Jersey, on September 10.



He fell against a fence and snapped his neck, killing him. His body was left on the quiet residential street before it was discovered by a passerby.



Scroll down for video



Tragic: Ralph Santiago, 46, pictured here with family, died after being beaten by three young teenagers. Prosecutors say he was targeted and stalked as part of a sick game

Suspects: The three teens, from nearby Jersey City, New Jersey, rode the train to Hoboken, where they killed Mr Sanitago, authorities say

The boys were taken into custody and charged on Friday after prosecutors released surveillance images of the suspects in the hopes of identifying whoever killed Mr Santiago.



The Jersey Journal reports that Mr Santiago was a well-known homeless man in Hoboken, who never bothered anyone else.



He attended a local church and was often seen at a homeless shelter just blocks from where he was killed.



His family told the newspaper that he was mentally disabled and often talked to himself, which might have drawn the attention of the three teens.



One of the teens was pictured at a convenience store not long after the brutal murder

His ex-wife said that he was a break dancer and a gymnast until his mental health problems became too severe.



She said he endured a similar attack nearly three decades ago when he was a teenager.



Prosecutors say the boys, who all live in Jersey City, rode the NJ Transit Light Rail to Hoboken, where they found their victim.

The Hudson County Prosecutor released surveillance video from the train station showing the boys getting off.



Also released were two images of one of the teens walking into a convenience store.

The murder, which happened in broad daylight in a neighborhood where residents regularly walk their dogs and stroll outside, stocked the city of Hoboken.



'It’s really a shame. I walk my dog a lot around here and I see a lot of homeless. They get their sandwiches down the street,' William Baily, who lives near the crime scene, told the Jersey Journal.

