VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Multiple people have been arrested in what Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood calls a “mob mentality beat down.”
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Trash and empty alcohol containers cover the ground deep in the woods in Deleon Springs, days after a party ended in a brutal brawl.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said deputies were never called to break up the fight despite being recorded on cellphones by partygoers. The Sheriff’s Office only found out about the fight after the victims ended up at the hospital.
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“When you see people stomping someone into the ground, do you not think, ‘Oh my God, somebody could end up dead here’? So, what will I do? I will film it and post it on Facebook,” said Chitwood.
Deputies later learned during a bonfire in Deltona, a group was sitting in the back of a pickup truck when the driver hit the gas and broke, knocking the group to the ground. The party then moved to Deleon Springs, where the group from the truck beat the driver and three others.
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The people at the party range from teens to young adults. Ten total will eventually face charges.
Two arrested are juveniles; the other two are 20-year-old Devon Heil and 21-year-old Christoper Sappa. The sheriff said warrants are out for the rest of the group.
The Sheriff’s Office is still looking for tips from the party.
Chitwood is also working with property owners to install no-trespassing signs because these parties in the woods seem to be common.
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