An attack outside the Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science left a 17-year-old female student injured, and her mother says she was not the intended target.

Shanae Yates says a group of five women tore out her daughter's hair, pummeled her face and left her bruised and on crutches.

The NYPD says three women between 18 and 49 years old have been arrested and charged with assault. Two additional arrests are pending.

"They just came and punched my child," she says.

According to Yates, a feud between other students had been simmering for some time. One of them called in family members to settle the score, she says.

Her daughter was standing with one of the girls involved, Yates says, and the attackers pounced.

"They just hit the smallest person," she says.

She says the school's response fell short of her expectations, too. She accuses administrators of doing nothing when other students warned about the planned attack, and she claims school safety officers did not detain the assailants.

The Department of Education disagrees.

"School safety agents immediately responded to this off-site incident," the DOE said in a statement. "Appropriate disciplinary action was taken, and the school is providing ongoing support to the individuals involved."