An incident where two teen boys assaulted a 64-year-old man Monday on Broadway in front of the Dairy Queen on Monday is spurring Chesterton police to enhance its juvenile crime enforcement efforts.

The two boys, who are 16 and 17, have been each charged with a misdemeanor count of delinquent battery and are being held at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center. One of the boys was also additionally charged with public intoxication and road obstruction.

Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson said that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated. He said at the end of the school year it’s also typical to “see a rise in late-night activity and mischief.”

“In response to a recent rise in incidents, including vandalism, vehicle break-ins and juveniles obstructing traffic by riding bicycles in the roadway, we are launching a targeted initiative aimed at deterring crime and upholding the quality of life our residents expect,” Richardson said.

The department will assign additional personnel to patrol shifts, with enhanced patrols scheduled at random times during the first two weeks of the summer break. The focus will be on increased visibility, preventing property crimes and strict enforcement of juvenile curfew laws.

Monday’s incident was triggered when the boy was riding his bicycle, weaving a bit down the middle of Broadway while the 64-year-old man was driving westbound toward him at around 9:45 p.m., according to police.

The man stopped his vehicle suddenly to avert a collision.

After the man told the boy to get out of the road, the juvenile responded with cursing and an obscene gesture, the report said.

The driver made a U-turn and exited his vehicle.

That’s when the boy punched the man, sending him to the ground, the report said.

The boy kept kicking and punching the downed man and another boy joined in the beating.

A number of witnesses, who happened to be at the Dairy Queen at the time, yelled at the two boys to stop. The teens hopped on their bicycles and headed north on North 15th Street.

The victim had a large welt on his left temple and numerous red marks on his scalp. He was disheveled and had his clothes ripped but was not seriously hurt, the report said

The two juveniles were quickly located. The one who was riding his bicycle registered a detectable blood alcohol content on a portable breath test. They were both taken to the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center.

Richardson said there have been a number of incidents where juveniles were pulling on the door handles of parked cars, seeing which ones were unlocked, and then taking items.

That was particularly the case in the Morgan’s Corner neighborhood surrounding the old YMCA building on Roosevelt Street, Richardson said.

Richardson said he understands that the summertime is when youth can enjoy a break from the school routine.