FRENCH VALLEY - A Winchester man suspected of beating a 17-year- old boy during a violent group mugging was caught by the victim's relatives while fleeing from an emergency room, records show today.

Joseph Scott turned 18 Saturday, the day sheriff's deputies arrested him. He remained behind bars today following his booking for suspicion of second degree robbery, receiving stolen property and other alleged offenses, according to jail records.

The teen-age victim was being treated at a hospital in Murrieta, and saw his supposed assailant walk into the facility and who had Advertisement

[ Pala Mesa Resort ] allegedly punched him at about 9:25 p.m. on Benton Road, east of Winchester Road, Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Larson said.

The suspect, later identified as Scott, bolted from the emergency room. But the boy's relatives caught up with him and called sheriff's deputies Larson said.

Sheriff's authorities believe Scott had knocked the teen-age boy to the ground when he refused to hand over all his property, Larson said. None of the other suspects who approached the boy were arrested, Larson said.

It was unclear whether the boy's belongings were recovered.