$7K reward offered for info on New Year's Day beating of U.S. soldier

Austin Freni suffered a broken jaw in the fight.

PHILADELPHIA -- A $7,000 reward is being offered for information on the New Year's Day beating of U.S. Army soldier Austin Freni, a South Jersey native who had to be hospitalized as a result of an encounter with at least 10 assailants.

The reward, offered by the local Citizen Crime Commission, is in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the brawl at 3rd Street and Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia on the night of Jan. 1.

Freni, 19, was on the phone with a nearby hotel after attending the annual Mummers parade and in the process of booking a room when he mentioned that he was a member of the U.S. Army. A group passing by made disparaging remarks about the military and Freni, his girlfriend, his mother and younger brother got into a physical alternation with the group.

'I miss all my brothers,' soldier injured in Philly brawl says

"I miss all my brothers over there," Freni, who suffered a broken jaw during the fight, told NJ Advance Media during an interview at his Waterford Township home prior to his return to Fort Benning, Georgia.

The military is covering Freni's medical costs, but approximately $11,000 raised via a GoFundMe page established by a family friend will help his mother pay for mounting personal medical bills.

Philadelphia police weren't immediately able to track down any witnesses or video recordings of the incident. Freni's mother said the attackers appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s.