Two teens face charges after allegedly beating a disabled man at a Florida bonfire party on October 23 around 2 a.m. in Daytona Beach.
Cody Stripling, 18, and Sabastian Bowers, 19, are charged with aggravated battery on a disabled person and battery by strangulation, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies say the suspects and others slammed, punched, slapped and kicked the victim while he pleaded for them to stop. The attackers recorded the assault and posted portions online.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the victim attended the bonfire with a friend but initially stayed in a truck for an hour because he was uncomfortable. When he joined the party, he sat on a truck tailgate. Bowers then slapped him, and Stripling began punching and slapping him while Bowers slammed him to the ground, cops wrote. While on the ground, Bowers repeatedly punched and kicked the victim with his work boots.
During the assault, the victim repeatedly asked "what did I do?" The cameraman told him to "smile" while filming. The victim bled from his mouth and suffered a concussion, cuts and bruises. Stripling allegedly placed the victim in a chokehold before the victim's friend returned and took him to safety.
Cops say the victim never acted aggressively toward the suspects. The victim has a visible birth defect on his right hand causing limited use, and his mother told deputies she believes he has a minor undiagnosed mental disability.
Stripling and Bowers were arrested Saturday and held in the Volusia County Jail without bond. Their next court dates are set for December 8. Deputies are searching for other suspects involved in the assault.