Teens charged in YouTube beating

[jmichna]

Teens charged in YouTube beating
Apr. 8, 2008 06:54 AM
Associated Press
LAKELAND, Fla. - Eight teenagers have been arrested on charges alleging they beat another teen in an "animalistic attack" so they could make a videotape to post on YouTube.

Seven of them remained in juvenile detention Tuesday, authorities said. A boy who was charged as an adult had been released on bail.

Victoria Lindsay was attacked on March 30 by six teenage girls when she arrived at a friend's home, authorities said. One of the girls struck the 16-year-old victim on the head several times and then slammed her head into a wall, knocking her unconscious, according to an arrest report.

Later, according to a clip of the video that was released by the Polk County sheriff's office, the teens can be seen blocking a door and hitting Victoria.

"It's absolutely an animalistic attack," Sheriff Grady Judd said Tuesday on NBC's "Today." "They lured her into the home for express purpose of filming the attack and posting it on the Internet."

Victoria's father, Patrick Lindsay, said the teens intended to post the video on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.

Christina Garcia, mother of one of the defendants, said her daughter had turned the tape over to police.

The sheriff's office said that after the attack, three of the teens forced the victim into a vehicle and drove her to another location, where she was told she would be given a worse beating if she contacted police.

All eight suspects were arrested April 2 and charged with battery and false imprisonment. The three teens who took Lindsay to the second location are also charged with felony kidnapping.

Lindsay was treated for a concussion, damage to her left eye and left ear, and numerous bruises, police said.

Disgusting. And the "parents"...?

[jmichna]

Published: Tuesday, April 8, 2008
EIGHT CHARGED WITH FELONY BATTERY
Mulberry Cheerleader Recovering From Beating
RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER
A GIRL ATTACKS 16-YEAR-OLD VICTORIA LINDSAY while others watch and one records the assault on March 30. This image is a photo of a TV screen playing a recording released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The Ledger Write an email to Jeremy Maready
Jeremy Maready
Police Reporter
Dept.: Metro Desk (863) 802-7592

MULBERRY
A battered and bruised Victoria Lindsay will not be returning to public school following an incident in which six other girls have been accused of videotaping a beating of the 16-year-old Mulberry High cheerleader.


TALISA LINDSAY AND HUSBAND PATRICK LINDSAY talk to reporters Monday in Lakeland about the March 30 assault on their daughter, Victoria, by a group of teen girls.


(From top left) April Cooper, Britney Mayes, Cara Murphy, Brittini Hardcastle, Kayla Hassell and Mercades Nichols, Zachary Ashley and Stephen Schumaker.

While a week has passed since the pummeling, Lindsay is still recovering from a concussion and has not fully regained her hearing and vision on her left side. But as swelling subsides, doctors hope those will return, her parents said Monday.

"When I saw my daughter in the emergency room, I didn't recognize my own daughter," said Patrick Lindsay, Victoria's father. Almost immediately, he handed her a pen and paper to write down the names of who was responsible and how it all happened to give to police.

"She was in fear for her life,'' he said. "She thought she was going to die."

Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said Monday the argument between the teens erupted from "trash talking" on MySpace and through text messaging. The Sheriff's Office declined to elaborate on what specifically was said, citing its ongoing investigation.

But Judd said the video was created for use on YouTube and MySpace, which has become a growing trend among teens. "This is animalistic behavior," he said while showing a clip of the recorded video at a press conference Monday. "That is pack mentality."

"It's incumbent upon YouTube and MySpace to make drastic changes," Judd said. "If we desensitize kids to this kind of beating today, what's next?"

According to investigators, Lindsay was attacked about 8:30 p.m. on March 30 by April Cooper, Cara Murphy, Britney Mayes, Brittini Hardcastle, Kayla Hassell and Mercades Nichols, while two boys, Zachary Ashley and Stephen Schumaker, stood outside the house as lookouts.

The girls and Ashley ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old. All have been arrested and charged with felony battery and false imprisonment. The single adult, Schumaker, 18, was taken to the Polk County Jail and has since been released on bail.

The Sheriff's Office said after the 35-minute beating, Lindsay was put into a car and taken to South Lakeland, near the intersection of Lakeland Highlands Road and County Road 540A.

Mayes, Hardcastle, and Nichols, who deputies said forced Lindsay into a vehicle and drove her around, will also be charged with felony kidnapping, sheriff's officials said.

Judd has asked the State Attorney's Office to charge all the teens as adults. "But that's not my decision," he said.

Patrick Lindsay, who still refuses to look at the taped beating, is advocating for removal of these types of videos from Internet sites like MySpace and YouTube. "As far as I am concerned, MySpace is the anti-Christ for children," he said. "I hope this comes to a final resolution. I am not going to stop here."

Lindsay, her father acknowledges, wasn't perfect and had her share of problems, and was not living at home at the time of the incident. After an argument with her parents, Lindsay had been living with Nichols for about a week when the beating occurred.

While she was well-liked among her friends, an honor student and maintained a job, her father said, she also had a history of anger problems. A few years ago she had a fight with her mother, and had been put on probation, he said.

Judd said investigators suspect there were as many five video clips of the incident taken by more than one camera. Investigators have only been able to track down one. That video, which was made available to the media, shows several girls taunting and hitting Lindsay, who was not seen fighting back.

Judd said the video obtained by investigators shows only the latter half of what happened. What happened earlier isn't part of the video.

Following their arrests the girls joked in a holding cell. One asked if she would be able to make it to cheerleading practice the next day, while several others joked that they wouldn't be making it back to the beach anytime soon, he said.

"They seemed to have absolutely no remorse at all," Judd said. "They were just going to beat her. And beat her they did."

[jtkratzer]

This was sick...and I can't believe the mother of the girl who filmed it saying she didn't do anything and never hit the girl and shouldn't be in trouble.

[Sparks007]

After they're done beatin' the crap out of these loser kids, they ought to also slap their stupid parents around for a couple of hours.

[m9fan]

Absolutely an outrage! (Stuff like this just makes my blood boil). As others have already stated, what a poor reflection on the parents of the accused...

[lobster_roboto]

This is probably the first time I have ever heard the parents say that about their child...


Usually...

They say things like our child wouldn't harm anyone and was a good kid blah blah blah..

[yocan]

An honest dad about his kidding getting hurt, he is an anomoly in this day and age. That being said, maybe the libs have something right, maybe we should charge the parents alongside their kids in this. But that could take guilt off the kids in effect.... that wouldn't do.

[rufusdog]

They all need to be put away.

[greenflea]

at least the anti-gunners can't say anything about one of them shooting the other.

although it is sad when something like this happens.

they should put them all in jail along with the parent who just stood there and filmed it. i think the parent should be carged with acessory to what ever they end up being charged with.


just my .02

[jeepinbanditrider]

In a situation like that is when you fight for the very essence of your life. Use objects at your disposal to fight tooth and nail for the front door or even a large bay window. She could have easily been killed.