SANFORD, Fla. — Two local men are now facing criminal charges after confronting two teenagers in a Seminole County neighborhood.
One of the men is accused of throwing a rock through their car window. The other allegedly dented the vehicle with a traffic cone.
One of the victim's parents believes this was racially motivated.
Fifty-two-year-old Donald Corsi and 61-year-old Howard Hughes of Sanford face criminal charges after deputies say they attacked two teenage boys who were driving through their Lake Forest neighborhood Tuesday night.
Cellphone video of the confrontation was recorded by 16-year-old Jermaine Jones, who had been driving the white Mercedes.
He had a 16-year-old passenger, and according to the teens, they were headed to a friend’s home to spend the night when the two men yelled at them for speeding.
After the teens turned to leave the area, they say the men forced them to stop and attacked.
In the video, the men can be heard yelling at the teens.
"Burning out racing through my [expletive] neighborhood! Burning out racing through my [expletive] neighborhood! After I told you not to,” they said. "Get out of my neighborhood!"
The teens say the men dented their car with a traffic cone and threw a rock through the back window. The arrest affidavit also says Hughes used the cone to hit one of the teens in the stomach.
Jermaine Jones says he can’t stop playing what happened over and over again in his head.
“My friend got assaulted by the man that had the cone. He struck him with the cone. And after that, I was going to speak to the man and tell him that was wrong and ask him why he did it,” Jermaine Jones said. “And my friend goes, ‘Jermaine, watch out, he has a gun!’ That’s when I picked up my phone and started recording because I was fearing for my life.”
Jermaine Jones' parents said while their son admits he was speeding, the men had no right to attack.
“I was terrified and thanking God that nothing happened to my son,” Niko Jones, Jermaine Jones' mom, said. “There's no doubt in my mind that had he been white, this would not have happened to him. It had to be his skin color.”
Jermaine Jones' parents say they can't help but think about what happened to Trayvon Martin in Sanford. While they are upset about what happened, they are thankful the situation didn't escalate.
"They could have simply called the police,” Niko Jones said. “They could have done anything, but the audacity of them to think they could do what they wanted to do because it's their neighborhood, that's what they said, ‘get out of our neighborhood.’”
Jones' parents have obtained an attorney and want the men to face more serious charges.
“I personally was appalled and disgusted. I can't believe that in 2022 grown men would treat a child this way,” Niko Jones said.
Both of the adult men face charges of damaging property. Hughes also faces a charge of battery.
They have bonded out of jail and WESH 2 News attempted to reach them both, but have not received a response.
www.wesh.com
One of the men is accused of throwing a rock through their car window. The other allegedly dented the vehicle with a traffic cone.
One of the victim's parents believes this was racially motivated.
Fifty-two-year-old Donald Corsi and 61-year-old Howard Hughes of Sanford face criminal charges after deputies say they attacked two teenage boys who were driving through their Lake Forest neighborhood Tuesday night.
Cellphone video of the confrontation was recorded by 16-year-old Jermaine Jones, who had been driving the white Mercedes.
He had a 16-year-old passenger, and according to the teens, they were headed to a friend’s home to spend the night when the two men yelled at them for speeding.
After the teens turned to leave the area, they say the men forced them to stop and attacked.
In the video, the men can be heard yelling at the teens.
"Burning out racing through my [expletive] neighborhood! Burning out racing through my [expletive] neighborhood! After I told you not to,” they said. "Get out of my neighborhood!"
The teens say the men dented their car with a traffic cone and threw a rock through the back window. The arrest affidavit also says Hughes used the cone to hit one of the teens in the stomach.
Jermaine Jones says he can’t stop playing what happened over and over again in his head.
“My friend got assaulted by the man that had the cone. He struck him with the cone. And after that, I was going to speak to the man and tell him that was wrong and ask him why he did it,” Jermaine Jones said. “And my friend goes, ‘Jermaine, watch out, he has a gun!’ That’s when I picked up my phone and started recording because I was fearing for my life.”
Jermaine Jones' parents said while their son admits he was speeding, the men had no right to attack.
“I was terrified and thanking God that nothing happened to my son,” Niko Jones, Jermaine Jones' mom, said. “There's no doubt in my mind that had he been white, this would not have happened to him. It had to be his skin color.”
Jermaine Jones' parents say they can't help but think about what happened to Trayvon Martin in Sanford. While they are upset about what happened, they are thankful the situation didn't escalate.
"They could have simply called the police,” Niko Jones said. “They could have done anything, but the audacity of them to think they could do what they wanted to do because it's their neighborhood, that's what they said, ‘get out of our neighborhood.’”
Jones' parents have obtained an attorney and want the men to face more serious charges.
“I personally was appalled and disgusted. I can't believe that in 2022 grown men would treat a child this way,” Niko Jones said.
Both of the adult men face charges of damaging property. Hughes also faces a charge of battery.
They have bonded out of jail and WESH 2 News attempted to reach them both, but have not received a response.
Sanford men accused of damaging teen's car in confrontation over speeding
One of the men is accused of throwing a rock through their car window. The other allegedly dented the vehicle with a traffic cone.
www.wesh.com
