SWEETWATER, FLA. (WSVN) - Brutal blows were delivered in an apartment hallway after police said an Florida International University student was hit by fists and hate.
A coward and a delinquent is how officers described 28-year-old Daniel Roncancio.
“That’s the actions of a coward and a delinquent,” said Sweetwater Police Department Sgt. Jonathan Arche.
According to police, it happened back on April 29, around 7:30 p.m. The victim, an FIU student, took the elevator up to his apartment when it made a stop on the sixth floor and three guys stepped in.
The surveillance video does not have audio, but according to officers, Roncancio, seen in a colorful shirt, begins using racial slurs, threatening the victim.
“This individual got into the elevator with our victim and began to use racial slurs against the victim, and obviously what he was doing was he preyed on him, he cornered him, and then he attacked him,” said Arche.
On the video, the two have an exchange and appear to size each other up, then Roncancio punches the victim. As the victim tries to get away, Roncancio comes after him, continues to attack and chases him down the hallway.
“He preyed on somebody that is much smaller than he is. I can guarantee you that if he would have been with somebody his size, he wouldn’t have acted that way,” said Arche.
“To have it happen when you’re at your building, when you’re at your home, it’s scary,” said Natalie Piere, an FIU student.
Other students who live in the off-campus building reacted to the news.
“It was really upsetting. Like honestly, I hate that anyone in this building has to suffer or go through anything like that,” said George Colina, an FIU student.
Sweetwater Police said when they caught up with Roncancio, he was already in the custody of the FIU Police Department for a separate incident, and then allegedly got into another fight after being booked into jail.
“It’s my understanding that this individual last night, while at the county jail, thought that it’d be a good idea to get into another altercation with somebody in there, and from what I’m being told and my understanding is that it didn’t end too well for him,” said Arche.
You speak English, right?” asked Judge Mindy S. Glazer to Roncancio during court.
“Also Arabic. My dad is Iranian, so it makes no sense,” responded Roncancio.
Roncancio appeared in court Thursday. He was seen smirking and rolling his eyes as the prosecutor tried to make her arguments.
“He called him an Arabic cockroach, made fun of the victim’s accent and threatened to kill the victim. There is definitely prejudice,” said the prosecutor.
“No, that’s Habibi right there,” said Roncancio.
“He’s obviously a person that’s very dangerous and a person that has no morals or ethics,” said Arche.
Roncancio has been charged with battery with prejudice, assault with prejudice and also received another battery charge for the alleged incident that took place in jail. His total bond has been set at $7,000.
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