A group of teenagers in Florida beat a man “senseless” last week, jumping on him “like a bunch of pack animals” and pummeling him repeatedly “with a sickening rage,” according to police.
The alleged attack occurred Monday, May 5, at approximately 11:40 p.m. in Polk County, with cops reporting that the four teens, three of whom are over 18 and charged as adults, told authorities they assaulted the victim because he was “bothering an autistic friend” of theirs, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Juan Ramos, 35, told police he was talking with a man at a Mulberry car wash on North Church Avenue when the group allegedly attacked him.
“Next thing I know, I’m getting pounded,” Ramos told NBC affiliate WFLA from his hospital bed.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” he told me.
Police have identified the teens charged as adults as Eathan Simmons, 18, and Westlee Davis II, 18, who are both charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery with bodily harm, rioting, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor; and Dalton Creach, 19, who is charged with rioting and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Police have requested that a 17-year-old who was allegedly involved be charged as an adult with attempted murder, aggravated battery with bodily harm, rioting, and contributing to a minor’s delinquency.
According to PCSO officials, Ramos admitted to being intoxicated and on probation at the time of the incident, which caused him to initially not report what allegedly occurred. His wife ended up calling cops, and detectives then asked him to come forward and help put the teens behind bars.
“They beat him without mercy,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press briefing on Friday. “Jumped on him like a bunch of pack animals.”
The alleged beating resulted in serious facial injuries for Ramos, including a broken nose, broken jaw, multiple lacerations, and swelling. The sheriff’s office released an image of him from the hospital, revealing the extent of his injuries, as well as cellphone footage of the alleged incident.
“I’m going to share with you something that is animalistic,” Judd told reporters, referring to the video footage. “It is horrible. You cannot believe that people in today’s society care so little about one another.”
Judd stated that police were attempting to identify the autistic friend whom the teens were allegedly defending, but they had yet to do so as of Friday. Ramos allegedly told police that he was just talking to someone about their car when the teens attacked him.
Judd stated that no one, regardless of the circumstances, should be allegedly beaten in the manner Ramos was. “In a free society, we don’t treat people like that,” the sheriff concluded. “That conduct’s not acceptable in Polk County.”