Florida couple who stomped, kicked and robbed man for helping Black man charged for battery with bodily harm
A White man was reportedly beaten, stomped and robbed by a couple who were allegedly upset about the victim helping a Black man. According to The Sun, the incident occurred on August 27 in front of Butler Boulevard in Florida.
42-year-old Carrie Tyrrell and 26-year-old Jeremy Ziegler started yelling at the victim when he tried helping a Black man, who works as the unofficial manager of an apartment complex. Reports stated that the incident took place around 5:30 a.m.
The victim told the police that the pair started “hitting and kicking him” until he ended up on the ground when he stopped to help the Black man pick up trash. Furthermore, The Sun reports state that the couple was found shouting racial slurs at the victim while attacking him.
When Daytona Beach Police Department officers arrived on scene around 6:13 a.m, they found the victim unconscious. He was taken to Halifax Medical Center to be treated for deep cuts in his forehead and other wounds from the beating.
Reportedly, the apartment manager who is a Black, got into an argument with the suspects. When they came outside to shout at him, the manager returned to his home. He reportedly sought refuge in his apartment as he was in “fear for his life”.
According to The Sun, a witness stated that they heard screaming and yelling in the area. On reaching the location, they saw the couple “standing over the victim, stomping and kicking him, and removing something from the man's pocket."
The victim, in a statement to the police said that he vaguely remembered and identified one of them through his personal belongings. The police later confirmed that the victim’s wallet, cards, and ID were missing from the pocket.
Explaining the disturbing details form the attack, the deputies told that Tyrell “stomped” on the victim and allegedly said, “How do you like me now?” while doing so. A deputy stated in a police report, “While it is clear that (Tyrell) and (Zeigler) evidence prejudice against the Black male neighbor and that prejudice is their motivation for this crime, the Black male is not the victim of a crime.” The couple was charged with second-degree assault and third-degree assault, according to the police.
He further noted that, “V-1 is a victim because he dared help a Black man.” According to The Sun, Tyrrell is charged with aggravated battery with bodily harm and robbery on a $15,000 bond, while Zeigler is booked under the same charges with a bond of $20,000.
In July, a similar incident of racism occurred at a hotel in Brooklyn, New York, when a White couple allegedly attacked a Back hotel worker. They reportedly called the 59-year-old employee Crystall Caldwell a “monkey”.
Caldwell accused a couple, Philip Sarner and Emily Orbay, of calling her “monkey” throughout the attack and said that they even threatened her. The issue reportedly ensued after the man who has been accused, called the front desk to complain that he wasn’t receiving the hot water service. However, when Caldwell said that she would send in someone to look at it, he began throwing tantrums at her and allegedly said that he was sending his girlfriend to the lobby to “kick her a**”.
When Caldwell tried responding to him, he ran at her in an attempt to hit, when she fought back, she was allegedly punched in the head which resulted in a concussion, swollen face, and injured eye. According to NBC Connecticut, the pair faced a charge of intimidation based on bigotry and bias besides second-degree assault and third-degree assault charges.