SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged after a brawl broke out at a Sunny Isles Beach park, and it was caught on camera.
According to Sunny Isles Beach Police, the fight occurred at Gwen Margolis Park back on Saturday.
Cellphone video posted to social media shows a group of teens standing around as the 14-year-old victim was beaten unconscious by the 18-year-old suspect.
The suspect managed to throw the victim to the paved sidewalk and held him down with his knee on his chest and continued punching him. When the suspect stood up, the video shows the suspect stomping the victim’s head to the ground, rendering the victim unconscious.
While the younger teen was unconscious, the suspect punched the victim in the face twice and kicked him in the face before he walked away.
On Friday, police arrested the 18-year-old bully, identifying him as Mykola Sokol.
“It was 100% an adult beating up a kid,” said Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Brian Schnell.
According to the arrest report, Sokol went up to the victim and his friends to try to snatch his hat away. When the victim refused, the fight broke out.
He faces an aggravated child abuse charge and remains behind bars at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The video was shared to a community group chat where the mothers of both teens identified their own children.
The arrest record states that the victim’s mother said that after she went to the police department, she received a call from the suspect’s mother, who said she saw the video in the group chat.
Once the suspect and his mother appeared at the police department, detectives showed them the video and arrested the 18-year-old.
“This young man has now been arrested, taken to TGK, and he faces serious felony charges as an adult,” said Schnell. “I mean, the consequences of that could stay with him for the rest of his life. That’s as serious as it can get.”
The victim’s mother said she is glad the 18-year-old was arrested.
Sunny Isles Police said they are still looking for the other teen who briefly jumped into the fight to punch the victim as well.
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