A local 16-year-old youth who turned himself into police is now under house arrest after being accused of violently throwing a 68-year-old woman into a swimming pool last weekend. The young man is now charged with battery to a person 65 years or older. The alleged incident was apparently recorded on video and uploaded to Twitter.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office related that the woman went to the pool to ask those attending a rowdy party to keep noise down. She’s on the board of the apartment complex in North Fort Lauderdale where the pool is located. The video reportedly shows the teen trying to lift up the woman and slipping and falling with her. She was then dragged over to the pool by her arms and thrown in. Deputies and paramedics arrived on the scene at about 7:00 p.m. The woman was examined, but she refused treatment. She now claims that she suffered a large bruise on her arm.
Fort Lauderdale battery attorney Kenneth Hassett advises that the crime of a battery to a person over 65 in Florida is a misdemeanor of the first degree and punishable by 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The fact that an accused didn’t know or realize that the victim was over 65 doesn’t matter. The prosecution need only prove that:
- The defendant intentionally cause harmful or offensive contact with a person
- That person was over 65
If you or somebody close to you has been charged with any type of an assault or battery in or around Fort Lauderdale, don’t give the police a statement or confession. Contact Fort Lauderdale battery attorney Kenneth Hassett of Hassett & Associates at 954-791-3939. Remember that you’re presumed innocent. The prosecution has the burden of proving you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Preserve and protect your rights, and hold the prosecution to that burden. Call Hassett & Associates right away after any arrest.
