FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A group of teenagers attacked a 19-year-old woman with autism, punching her in the head and face repeatedly and threatening her with a Taser, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the victim was hanging out with a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old girls on Feb. 17 in Palm Coast when the boy and one of the girls started accusing her of damaging the boy’s Dodge Charger.
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The victim asked the boy to drive her home since she wasn’t being treated well but instead they told her, “You’ll see where we’re gonna take you,” and, “We’ll see what’s gonna happen,” records show.
After that, deputies said one girl pulled out a pocket knife and handed it to the other, telling her, “You know what to do,” then that girl gave the knife back and pulled out a Taser, saying, “I don’t need this, look what I got.”
The victim was afraid she was going to get hit with the stun gun since the device was turned on so she tried to call 911 but all three teens took her phone to stop her, according to the affidavit.
A witness who was in the area waiting for a ride from his youth pastor saw the struggle as the victim tried to get out of the Charger only to be stopped by one of the teenage girls.
The violence continued as one of the girls lunged at the victim with the Taser activated, but was not successful in striking the victim, records show. The victim tried to get away from that suspect only to be confronted by the other girl, who punched her repeatedly in the face and head, according to authorities.
Deputies said the victim was eventually able to back away from her attackers and the boy yelled for the two teenage girls to get in the car and sped off with the victim’s backpack still inside.
The backpack was later located at an intersection in Palm Coast but the victim’s cellphone and wallet were missing, according to the affidavit.
After the attack, the victim called 911.
“I just got in a fight with some people and they’re driving a black Camaro. They put a knife on me. I don’t where I am I just need (expletive) someone here right now because I’m (inaudible) and I’m not trying to fight anyone,” she said.
She said she knew the boy through an ex of hers and he brought the two other girls, one of whom she didn’t get along with prior to the fight.
“I got into a fight with these so-called friends that I thought they were friends but they’re (expletive) (expletive),” she said.
She explained that a knife and stun gun were involved but she wasn’t injured.
Deputies said it took several hours of meeting with the victim to fully determine what happened and identify the three teens involved. They noted in the report that the victim had “significant deficits in communication and social interaction” and that the suspects were aware of her autism diagnosis.
The suspects were taken into custody Thursday.
The two girls face charges of robbery with a weapon, false imprisonment, tampering with a victim preventing communication to law enforcement, aggravated assault with deadly weapon and battery. One of the teen girls is also accused of possession of fentanyl, marijuana and methamphetamine and obstruction of justice upon her arrest.
The boy faces charges of robbery with weapon and tampering with a victim preventing communication to law enforcement.
“Our team did a great job in working through several hurdles in this case and then working with the State Attorney’s Office to move forward with charges,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I will never understand why some teens think this is proper behavior. I hope the suspects get the help they need to get on a positive track to be kind, respectful, and productive members of our community.”