Nationwide — Four white teenagers have been arrested for allegedly beating a man with special needs during a bonfire party in Florida. The victim suffered multiple injuries after the teens reportedly punched, kicked, slapped, and spat on him. Investigators also recovered cellphone footage of the attack, which one of the suspects allegedly shared on social media.
The incident happened on October 23, 2026, at a bonfire gathering in Tiger Bay State Forest. According to Fox 35 Orlando, the victim attended the party with a friend, who left after about an hour to drive some guests home and bring more people back. While waiting for his friend, the victim sat on the tailgate of a pickup truck. The arrest report said Cody Stripling and Sebastian Bowers approached him and began mocking him.
The confrontation soon turned into a physical attack. Cellphone footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the victim being pulled off the truck before several men surrounded him. They allegedly took turns spitting on him, slapping him, punching him, and kicking him. The victim told investigators that the beating lasted between 30 and 40 minutes. He was left with bruises on his arms, back, and face before his friend returned and helped him.
After returning to the party, the friend asked other attendees what had happened. He was reportedly told that the group attacked the victim because he had “insulted and brushed up against an unidentified party-goer.” Investigators have not identified the person involved in the alleged disagreement or explained what happened before the attack began.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has since arrested four teenagers in connection with the assault. Deputies first arrested Stripling and Bowers over the weekend. Logan Levesque and Casey Knight were taken into custody on Wednesday. All four face charges of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, aggravated battery causing bodily harm, and battery by strangulation. Both Levesque and Knight are being held without bond. Knight also faces allegations of recording the beating, uploading the footage to social media, and failing to report the incident to police.
During a Thursday press conference, Sheriff Mike Chitwood addressed those who recorded and shared the attack instead of reporting it. “If you’re gonna stand there, and you’re gonna film this stuff, and you’re gonna post it, your a– is getting locked up,” he said. He also urged young people to find more productive activities rather than target someone who cannot defend himself. Authorities have not disclosed how many people attended the bonfire or whether more arrests will follow. The investigation remains ongoing, and the sheriff’s office is asking anyone with additional information to come forward.