Two former college football players at Boston College and Marist College allegedly beat a homeless man unconscious, according to The Boston Globe.
Craig "CJ" Parsons, 22, of Boston College and Anthony Varrichione, 23, of Marist College, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Suffolk County Court.
Both face charges of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury in the Jan. 26 incident.
Additionally, Parsons also pleaded not guilty to violating the witness intimidation statute for allegedly urging an unidentified witness four times to not identify him to investigators.
The incident occurred in Allston, where Parsons and Varrichione allegedly slammed the man's head into the sidewalk three or four times, prosecutors said.
After the court arraignment, both defendants were released on personal recognizance and left without speaking to the press.
Prosecutors identified the victim as 50-year-old Michael Hudson, who was homeless for most of his life but reportedly secured housing in Allston.
On the night of the alleged incident, Hudson was asking passersby for money and food when a "verbal confrontation" began between him and the attackers.
"Hudson was told to go away and leave the area multiple times,'' prosecutors wrote. When he refused, Parsons and Varrichione began assaulting him.
During the attack, prosecutors said Hudson's "head was [allegedly] slammed into the sidewalk three to four times by Craig Parsons."
It wasn't until an unidentified woman intervened and jumped over Hudson's body to protect him from the brutal assaulting.
"The attack was interrupted when a female pedestrian ran to [the victim's] aid and covered his body with her own. This witness reported that one of the two assailants attempted to spit on Mr. Hudson as she lay on top of him,'' prosecutors wrote. "Additional witnesses came to Mr. Hudson's aid and both Parsons and Varrichione fled the area.''
Hudson was rushed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he was in critical condition.
"He remained hospitalized for three days and now has no memory of the incident,'' spokesman Jake Wark said in an email to the Globe.
