Two teenagers were arrested Tuesday afternoon when they were caught beating another teenager with a pipe outside of Delhi High School.

The incident began just as students were getting out of school, around 3:20 p.m. at the Delhi Education Park.

The two male Hispanic teens — a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old — came onto the campus and “immediately attacked a 16-year-old Hispanic male student with the handle from a floor jack,” said Merced County Sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.

The victim sustained a cut to the top of his head during the attack that required six staples to close it up, MacKenzie said.

The School Resource Officer, Deputy Joey Cardenas, caught the two teen suspects as they were striking the 16-year-old with the pipe.

The two suspects are former students who now attend a continuation school in Merced. They told the deputy they had come onto campus to walk their girlfriends home.

The sheriff’s department suspects the attack might be gang-related and retaliation for a previous fight. MacKenzie said the victim had been involved in a fight the week prior.

The two suspects denied being involved with a gang, though they did say they associate with known gang members, MacKenzie said.

Both teens were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and were released to their parents.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.