A Riverdale, NJ man pleaded not guilty to charges that he attacked students at a Massachusetts college.

19-year-old Dillon DeStefano allegedly began randomly punching fellow students at Endicott College. Authorities said that the attack occurred on the college campus, where DeStefano was a sophomore.

According to police, one of the victims suffered a broken jaw that needed to be repaired with titanium plates. Additionally, police said that one of the other victims suffered a shattered eye socket that will require reconstructive surgery. The injuries led the prosecutor in the case to refer to the attacks as “vicious.”

Prosecutors noted that the random attacks are strikingly similar to the kinds of attacks that occur in what is known as the “knockout game,” in which groups of people randomly attack strangers and capture the attacks on cellphone cameras.

Police do not yet know if DeStefano had a motive for the attacks. The police report indicates that DeStefano had been overheard bragging to others about punching other people for no particular reason. Police believe that DeStefano may have put another man in a headlock and then punched him in the jaw.

DeStefano has been charged with aggravated assault and battery in Massachusetts.

DeStefano has denied any involvement in the attacks. When first confronted by police, he said that his hand was red and swollen due to a weightlifting injury.

After DeStefano entered his not guilty plea, his parents posted $20,000 cash bail for his release. However, DeStefano was still held pending an official hearing to determine whether he poses a danger to society.

To learn more about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Pleads Not Guilty in Massachusetts College Campus Attacks.“

If you are facing assault charges in New Jersey, contact Morristown NJ criminal defense attorney Alissa D. Hascup for a free consultation about your case.