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U.S.Reported

11-year-old Billings girl beaten in park attack lured by promise of TikTok video, mom shares hospital photos

BILLINGS — An 11-year-old Billings girl was lured to Optimist Park on the city's south side and beaten in a violent attack that was recorded and posted to social media, sparking outrage in the community. Ana Gernant said she was tricked into thinking the girls wanted to record a TikTok dance video. The attack happened Sunday night during a baseball game, just beyond the outfield fence. Ana was punched and kicked dozens of times over the course of more than 2 minutes. At one point, other kids at the scene yelled for the assault to stop, but the attacker continued.

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Scoop News DeskBillings, Montana · Published Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 10:16 AM UTCUpdated Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 4:55 AM UTC

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Billings Police Sergeant Jeff Stovall said everyone involved, including those who recorded the video, could face criminal charges. "All involved, even those taking the video, can be charged with a crime," Stovall said. "There's a situation where they could have intervened.

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Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 4:55 AM UTC
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