Nine Florida teenagers allegedly attacked a fellow student after he intervened when they were harassing a girl, according to authorities.
The incident began last week at Harmony High School in Saint Cloud, a suburb of Orlando. During lunch, the 17-year-old reportedly saw several boys throwing carrots at a girl, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said.
The student approached the group with his girlfriend and asked them to stop. His intervention sparked a heated verbal exchange between the couple and two of the boys inside the cafeteria, investigators said.
The pair eventually walked away, helping to end the confrontation. Police allege, however, that the group later sought revenge once the school day ended.
As the student headed toward his car near campus after classes, nine teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 allegedly surrounded him.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office later released cellphone footage that captured the assault.
In the video, the group can be heard confronting the student as he reaches his vehicle. Police said 16-year-old Joandiel Gomez Ruiz threw the first punch.
The other eight teenagers then joined the attack, repeatedly striking the student in the face and head and leaving him bloodied, according to investigators.
Police said nine Florida teenagers attacked a 17-year-old student after he defended a girl who was being targeted. Joandiel Gomez Ruiz, 16, is shown allegedly throwing the first punch
After the initial blow, eight more teens between the ages of 14 and 18 allegedly joined the assault. One suspect is seen leaping toward the student
The group allegedly continued punching the student in the face and head as they surrounded him
The footage shows the 17-year-old attempting to push the attackers away and protect himself as the blows continued. The person recording the encounter can be heard yelling, “F*** his a** up!” and “Get his a**!”
At one point, a girl moved between the attackers and the student while shouting in distress. The teenager was later seen wiping his face, with blood appearing on his hand.
His mother took him to a hospital, where doctors used 11 stitches to close facial wounds, police said.
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Detectives reviewed the cellphone recording and used it to identify all nine teens suspected of taking part in the attack.
With assistance from school staff, deputies went to Harmony High School on Wednesday and arrested the students during class.
Each suspect faces felony charges of aggravated battery and inciting a riot, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The two adult suspects, both 18, were identified as Quianelle Antonio Reyes-Cintron and Brian Alexander Ramirez. They were booked into the Osceola County Jail, and authorities released their mugshots. Photos of the juvenile suspects were not made public.
The other suspects were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
The student is shown with blood on his hand after wiping his face. Police said he needed 11 stitches for facial injuries sustained in the attack
Quianelle Antonio Reyes-Cintron and Brian Alexander Ramirez were charged with felony aggravated battery and felony inciting a riot
Police identified them as Jimmy Yael Ortiz-Vazquez, 17, Byron Arriga-Cervantes, 16, Joandiel Gomez-Ruiz, 16, Keyshawn Roberts, 16, Gabriel Rodriguez, 16, and Alexander Rodriguez, 16. The 14-year-old was not named.
Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon released a statement condemning the attack.
‘Let me be completely clear to every student attending school in Osceola County: if you put your hands on another student, on or off campus, my deputies will arrest you,’ the sheriff said.
‘This victim did the right thing by standing up for a fellow student who was being bullied. He is the brave one. The nine teens who chose to gang up and use violence against him are cowards.’
Osceola School District Superintendent Dr Mark Shanoff also released a statement that said: ‘Physical intimidation, threats, or acts of violence of any kind will not be tolerated in our schools or in our community, whether on or off campus.
‘Such behavior is fundamentally inconsistent with the values of our school district and the standards of conduct we expect from every student. We take these matters seriously, and there must be accountability when those expectations are violated.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Osceola County School District for further comment and additional information.