Couple in their 70s attacked for asking man about his parking space, Florida cops say

A 71-year-old woman was knocked to the ground and kicked after she asked a driver about his parking space, according to investigators in Florida.

Her 74-year-old husband was also attacked after he tried to intervene, the Stuart Police Department said in a Feb. 25 news release.

It happened the afternoon of Jan. 31, when “finding a parking space was a challenge” in downtown Stuart, police said.

“When our victims observed a male enter his truck, they patiently waited for him to leave the spot. After a couple of minutes, the 71-year-old female approached the driver and asked if he would be leaving soon,” police said.

“The driver became upset, exited the vehicle, and struck the female, causing her to fall to the ground. He then proceeded to kick the woman. ... The 74-year-old husband exited his vehicle to defend his wife, but the suspect pushed him to the ground, and (struck) the male victim.”

The driver fled and the traumatized victims could provide only “minimal information regarding the suspect and his vehicle,” police said.

On Feb. 25, police announced detectives had identified a suspect: 47-year-old Mark Swick, who lives about a 185-mile drive northwest from Stuart in Land O’ Lakes, a Tampa suburb.

He was arrested in Port St. Lucie and faces two felony counts of battery on a person over age 65, police said.

Stuart is about a 105-mile drive north from Miami.