Video shows two tourists from Boston being attacked in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La. — New Orleans police have released video of two tourists from Boston being attacked and robbed.

Police are trying to identify several people who brutally attacked the pair as they were walking in the French Quarter Saturday night during a robbery, leaving one victim in critical condition at a local hospital.

The victims were in town from Boston to attend the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the annual meeting of the liberal religious association.

The video shows the victims walking along the 200 block of Bienville Street about 9 p.m. Saturday when two men rush up behind them.

WARNING: THE VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT

One of the attackers punches the first victim in the head and then puts him in a chokehold and continues to punch the victim as he struggles to drag him to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, another man delivers a swift blow to the second victim's head, at which point the victim collapses to the ground face first. The attacker quickly rummages through the motionless victim's pockets as two other men run up and appear to help rob both victims.

The four robbers run away moments later as they throw the first victim, who appears dazed, to the ground.

One of the robbers then runs back into frame and briefly lifts the second victim off the sidewalk by the back of his shirt, revealing what appears to be a large pool of blood, before dropping the victim back on the sidewalk and running away.

The victim remains motionless as he appears to gasp for air as his face remains against the brick sidewalk.

The first victim eventually finds his glasses on the sidewalk and crawls to the second victim and appears to try to talk to him as two other people walk up to the men to offer assistance, with one taking out his cellphone, apparently to call 911.

Police said the attackers made off with the victim's cellphones and wallets.

One man, 21-year-old Dejuan Paul, has since been arrested after police said they identified them as one of the suspects in the video.

Police said Paul turned himself in after the video was released, and they advised the other three people in the video to do the same.

“If I were you, I would follow my friend’s lead and you should turn yourselves in as well because it is only a matter of time before all of you are under arrest, and you do not want is to come get you. Turn yourselves in," a New Orleans police investigator said.

WFXT