Four Florida teenagers have been arrested and are being held without bond after allegedly beating a disabled 19-year-old man for up to 40 minutes during a bonfire party. The incident occurred on Oct. 23 in the Tiger Bay State Forest near Daytona Beach.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood described the attack as "sickening" and referred to the suspects as "morons." He stated during a press conference, "These morons, who we’ve dubbed ‘Scumbags of the Week,’ decide it’s a good idea to beat somebody down who can’t defend themselves."
According to footage released by the sheriff's office, the victim, who has limited use of one arm, was struck in the head and thrown to the ground. The attackers then repeatedly punched and kicked him as he sat unable to defend himself. Laughter could be heard from the group during the assault.
"He couldn’t even throw a punch. He couldn’t do anything. He just walks up and gets sucker-punched and they’re piling on him, kicking him, stomping him, putting him in a chokehold," Chitwood said. The victim's friend was eventually able to remove him from the situation.
The suspects, identified as Cody Stripling, 18, Sebastian Bowers, 19, Logan Levesque, 18, and Casey Knight, 19, claimed they were "defending the woman’s honor" after the victim allegedly made an inappropriate comment and touched a woman's leg. Sheriff Chitwood dismissed this justification, noting the victim's vulnerability.
The 19-year-old victim suffered a concussion and several minor injuries. His mother reported the incident to authorities the following day.
The four teens face enhanced felony charges, including battery on a disabled adult. Knight is also accused of filming the attack and sharing the footage on Snapchat, prompting Chitwood to state, "If you’re gonna stand there and film this stuff, and then post it, your ass is getting locked up."
Stripling and Bowers were arrested first, followed by Levesque and Knight. All four are currently in jail without bond.