Danny Peterson went out for a fun treak-or-treat trip with his young cousin on Halloween in a typically peaceful New Jersey community. Instead, he ran into something completely horrifying.

Peterson, 29, and his young cousin, Ethan Drey, who has autism, were brually beaten for a bag of candy on Halloween, police said. Peterson's face shows the effects of the assault: He suffered a broken jaw and he needed 28 stitches. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for their medical care.



"Danny's jaw was broken in three places, he needed 28 stitches to close the wounds on his face, his earlobe had to be reattached, and he will need oral surgery for his broken jaw," his cousin, Jen Fernandez, said on the GoFundMe page. It happened at approximately 6:48 p.m. when officers from the Egg Harbor City Police Department responded to the area of Philadelphia Avenue and Beethoven Street, the site of the incident.

Police soon identified Peterson, and then learned that he and his cousin, Ethan, were both assaulted by a group of juveniles. The beatings took place after the large group followed Peterson and Ethan soon after they went out trick-or-treating, Fernandez said.

As they approached Peterson and Ethan from behind, Ethan heard one of the boys say he wanted his bag of candy. Ethan said no, and the brutal attack began, Fernandez said.

One of the group members knocked the bag of candy out of Ethan's hand, and Peterson was punched in the jaw, hit in the head with a pipe and knocked unconscious, Fernandez said.

While on the ground, the group continued their attack against Peterson. "It wasn't enough that my cousin Danny was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Fernandez said. "No. They decided to attack Ethan as well." Ethan's arms were held behind his back; he was then thrown to the ground and stomped on by the attackers until he lost consciousness, according to Fernandez.