BOSTON — A local man is recovering after he was attacked in a South End park after simply walking home.
For almost two years, Tyson Pickette has walked to his restaurant in Cambridge and back home to his apartment in Boston.
On Friday night, things took a wild turn, when he was attacked by two men and taken to the hospital for an emergency surgery.
Around midnight, Pickette was making his usual stroll back home when he was confronted by two young men in Southwest Corridor Park.
When Pickette didn't give the men what they wanted -- his phone -- he said they held him down on the ground and kicked and punched him in the head and face. Pickette was eventually able to scream loud enough to scare them away before going to get help.
Pickette works at Saloniki Greek, where his co-workers were heartbroken to hear the news of what happened.
His co-worker, Dez Valazquez said the crew at the restaurant is like a family.
"They were banging on his head," she said. In addition to the blow to his head, Pickette's jaw was broken and will have to be wired shut for almost three more weeks.
Pickette already had one surgery, but the pain is too much to handle.
Valazquez is not only concerned about her co-worker's physical scars, but also the emotional toll the incident will have on him.
"He walks a lot, so he closes a lot [and] he has to walk home," she said. "It's going to mess him up a lot."
Another co-worker, Terrell Rice, said the attackers got away with Pickette's cell phone.
"I just think it was people who are stupid, who have nothing to do with their life, who just decided, 'Oh, we're going to go pick on this innocent guy while he's walking home from a late night at work,'" Rice said.
Pickette's wife set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for his recovery. His co-workers at the restaurant are also chipping in.
"Everybody has been pitching in money," said Valazquez. "We get tips now so a lot of people have been giving their tip money, 'just throw it over to Tyson.'"
No arrests have been made yet and unfortunately, Pickette was unable to get a good look at the attackers. They are only described as young and in their late 20s.