Four Florida “morons” were arrested for allegedly beating a disabled 19-year-old for up to 40 minutes in a sickening bonfire party attack.
The four suspects — Cody Stripling, 18, Sebastian Bowers, 19, Logan Levesque, 18, and Casey Knight, 19 — ambushed the victim, who has limited use of one arm, at Tiger Bay State Forest near Daytona Beach on Oct. 23, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
“When I first saw it, the first reaction was I want to throw up,” Chitwood said of the attack footage during a press conference Thursday. “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.”
The teen was sitting in the back of a pickup truck when one of the culprits struck him in the head and tossed him to the ground, according to the footage.
He was then punched and kicked repeatedly as he sat helplessly on the ground, unable to defend himself against the group.
The attackers could be heard laughing as the assault continued, the video showed.
“He couldn’t even throw a punch,” Chitwood said. “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.”
The victim had attended the bonfire with a friend but was shy and initially reluctant to join in, according to Chitwood.
The teens claimed the disabled man made an inappropriate comment about a woman at the party and allegedly touched her leg.
They reportedly told police they were “defending the woman’s honor.”
But Chitwood wasn’t buying their excuse.
“You’re beating an individual that basically has one arm is what you’re doing and some other issues. And you think it’s cool. I don’t — I don’t — I don’t get it,” he said.
The victim’s friend eventually managed to get him away from the group, but his mom did not contact the authorities until the following day.
The 19-year-old suffered a concussion and several minor injuries.
The four teens are facing enhanced felony charges, including battery on a disabled adult.
Knight is accused of recording the attack and sharing the footage on Snapchat.
“If you’re gonna stand there and film this stuff, and then post it, your ass is getting locked up, OK?” Chitwood said of Knight.
“You have a duty to intervene but you want to be a cameraman and get clicks and you want to film your punk coward ass friends, you’re going to get the same treatment that they’re going to get.”
Stripling and Bowers were the first two suspects arrested, followed by Levesque and Knight. All four teens are being held in jail without bond.
“They should be known for what they did. You want to me a big man? Well, now they’re going to be treated like big men,” Chitwood added.
