A maskless man punches and spits on 70-year-old over social distancing, Florida cops say
A 70-year-old man was punched, spat on and dragged by his hair outside a gas station near Orlando this week after he asked a maskless stranger to observe social distancing and abide by COVID-19 recommendations, police say.
Winter Park police arrested 24-year-old Rovester Ingram on Tuesday, charging him with aggravated battery on a person older than 65 and kidnapping, police said in a statement.
Police did not release the name of the victim, who suffered broken bones during the attack and was hospitalized, the department said.
The altercation, which took place at a Citgo gas station in Winter Park, started after the man asked Ingram to “step away from him because Ingram was not wearing a mask,” police said.
Ingram followed the man outside the store, where he punched him in the face, shoved him to the ground and kicked him, police said. The man went back into the store to avoid the beating, but Ingram grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to the parking lot. Ingram spat on him and kicked him in the head before leaving, police said.
Police identified Ingram after obtaining surveillance footage and later arrested him at his home. Ingram remains in Orange County Jail and his bond has been set at $30,000, according to jail records.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
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