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(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

A young Kamloops man, who is on the autism spectrum, is recovering after he was beaten by a group of masked assailants this week.

Jenna Ormel said her 18-year-old son is battered and sore after the incident at McArthur Island Park. They were armed with weapons and kept on the assault after he was bleeding and fell to the ground before taking off with her son's shoes.

"My son called me and told me he was just attacked by four guys and was bleeding badly from his head," Ormel messaged iNFOnews.ca. "My immediate reaction was to tell him to call 911."

READ MORE: Young man beaten and robbed of his shoes in Kamloops park

Kamloops RCMP said the assailants ran toward Holt Street beach after taking his shoes around 9:20 p.m., March 27. The victim's identity is being protected.

Ormel said it's the second time her son has been assaulted by a group of young people in Kamloops. The first time was last summer near Overlander Park.

"He went to the beach and was attacked by peers he knew. RCMP brushed it off and nothing happened," she said, explaining he was being bullied for his autism at the time.

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She doesn't believe it's the same group who assaulted him the first time, but with the masks on, her son didn't know know who his assailants were. A witness in the area later suggested to Ormel her son may have been mistakenly targeted and the group was looking for someone else.

Ormel said police found her son's shoes, but they haven't yet been returned and she doesn't know where police found them. 

Her son is now recovering and she hopes he can get back to work soon, but he hasn't returned since the attack.

"He seems to be doing well so far, mentally," she said. "He's got tough skin on him, like most of the family."

No one has been charged yet, according to court records. It's not clear whether police have suspects in mind after the attack.

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