Florida law enforcement officials arrested 23 juveniles and six adults after a wild brawl erupted outside a Brandon skating rink when a party was canceled on Saturday night.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call from an off-duty deputy at Astro Skate at about 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, requesting help with a large crowd that was fighting in the parking lot.
Investigators learned the fight broke out after a planned party was canceled when the individuals hosting the private party failed to hire an off-duty deputy for the event, which Astro Skate requires.
Since the requirement was not fulfilled, the party was canceled, and the organizers were provided with a refund.
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The group turned to social media after learning the party had been canceled, calling on friends and acquaintances to meet at Astro Skate and riot against the business and law enforcement officials.
Deputies reported there were between 300-400 people in the skating rink’s parking lot and at nearby businesses.
The responding deputies told the crowd to leave because they were trespassing, yet the crowd continued fighting, damaging the nearby businesses, stealing and disrupting operations.
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One of the groups participating in the riot attacked a juvenile inside a nearby barber shop, the sheriff’s office said. The victim was beaten and thrown through the barber shop’s plate-glass window before being transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff’s office said another group went into a convenience store and caused more than $500 worth of damage to wine bottles, while also stealing an undetermined amount of merchandise from inside.
Ultimately, the sheriff’s office apprehended 23 juveniles, who were taken to the juvenile assessment center, as well as six adults, who were booked into the Orient Road Jail.
FOX 13 in Tampa reported that deputies arrested 32-year-old Lekera Evans; 21-year-old Yazelynn Ramos; 20-year-old Malik Carter; 18-year-old Jadyn Sebro; 18-year-old Aliyah Alfonso; and 18-year-old Fareed Carter. According to court documents, all six suspects have been charged with trespassing. Ramos and Sebro were also charged with disorderly conduct, while Evans was charged with resisting an officer’s orders without violence.
“I am outraged by the violent and disruptive behavior that targeted hard-working people and businesses and created harm, fear and chaos in our community. Let me make this unequivocally clear: this violent and destructive behavior will never, under any circumstances, be tolerated in Hillsborough County,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
“When responding to a scene as hectic as this, our deputies must account for potential danger from any direction. As you can see in the horrifying footage, these individuals had no regard for safety, our deputies had to step in to defuse the situation professionally and swiftly.”
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