San Francisco teacher robbed, beaten while on vacation in Italy
Brutal attack on San Francisco teacher while vacationing
A San Francisco teacher was robbed and attacked while vacationing in Italy.
SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco high school teacher was robbed and beaten while on vacation in Italy, according to colleagues.
Victim was attacked by 4 men
What we know:
Nicholas Pellegrino, 29, a religion teacher and track coach at Archbishop Riordan High School, was attacked while on a summer trip before the start of the new school year.
"He was really excited for this trip," said his colleague, Danny Curtin. "Very in touch with his Italian roots and heritage, and hearing that — it was shocking."
His throat was slashed
Dig deeper:
On July 15, Pellegrino was on an annual trip that he took with friends. He had boarded a train bound for Florence when he was attacked by four men who slashed his throat and stole his gold necklace, laptop, passport, and luggage.
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Pellegrino managed to run off the train, and photos showed him sitting on the ground, covered in blood.
"He said he was millimeters away from having a serious injury to an arterial pathway," said Curtin. "He was thankful for that, but it sounded like it was just a random attack."
Pellegrino detailed the incident in a July 18 email to coworkers, saying he didn’t want to scare students.
"Mr. P, as they like to call him, is someone who is very thoughtful in class," said Curtin. "One of their favorite teachers, supportive, engaging, and someone who really means a lot to the community.
Italian police arrested the four suspects at another train station about an hour after the attack. Investigators said the same group may have also attacked another passenger earlier that day.
Pellegrino spent four days in an Italian hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover his medical expenses and replace stolen items.
The Source: Interviews