KEY POINTS:
Two young men are in hospital after a vicious baseball attack at a Nelson playground early today.
Four young people - three men and one woman - were at the Pioneer Park playground in Washington Rd about 3.30am when a man carrying a baseball bat approached and accused them of making too much noise.
He attacked two of the youths knocking one of them, a 19-year-old, unconscious.
He then ran after a third male youth who managed to call police on his cellphone. The offender left before police arrived.
The injured were taken to Nelson Hospital, one with a broken jaw and the other with serious face injuries requiring constructive surgery.
Neither was able to speak to police because of their injuries, Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy said.
Police believed the attacker lived in the area.
He was described as Maori, aged 25-35, of medium to solid build with short black wavy hair.
- NZPA
