ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of three men Friday who are accused of attacking a Jewish victim during a Nazi rally near Alafaya Trail and Waterford Lakes Parkway.
Deputies arrested Joshua Terrell, 46; Jason Brown, 47; and Burt Colucci, 45. Colucci is also the leader of the National Socialist Movement, the Kissimmee-based group behind the rally, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
According to the affidavit for an arrest warrant, deputies responded to the rally on Jan. 29. Around 1:30 p.m., deputies said they were made aware that a young man had been pepper-sprayed by the rallying white nationalists. At the time, investigators said they could not determine who started the incident, but that they have since seen video of what took place.
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Deputies said they spoke with the victim who said prior to the attack he was driving on North Alafaya Trail, preparing to make a right turn onto Waterford Lakes Parkway when he saw the rally.
As he drove by, the victim said one of the NSM members spat into the sunroof of his car. At that point, according to investigators, the victim got out of his vehicle and got into an argument with the group — displaying a Star of David charm on his necklace and announcing that he was Jewish.
Deputies said, as the victim argued with the Nazi group, one of them — who the others called “Grandfather” — tried to get into his car, but the victim was able to get back into the vehicle before that could happen. The victim said he continued to argue with the man who tried to get into his car, records show. As the two argued, Grandfather spat at the victim, the victim threw some crumpled paper at the man and Grandfather spat on him again, records show.
At this point, deputies said the victim got out of the car and a shoving match ensued. As that happened, other members of the Nazi group joined in, pepper-spraying the victim and hitting him.
Deputies said the victim also dropped his phone during the melee, which was then picked up by one of the NSM members, Brown, and thrown into a storm drain.
Investigators said that cell phone video from the scene showed the NSM members shouting antisemitic slurs at the victim throughout the encounter. Deputies said the video also showed Colucci spitting on the victim multiple times while shouting slurs before pepper-spraying the victim as he tried to escape back into his car.
Records show Terrell was also caught on video bragging about hitting the victim during the encounter.
Deputies said they also found a social media post from Colucci which read, “Orlando event today. A 75 year old (sic) man with us was physically attacked by an open Jew. The problem was addressed and the Jew was dealt with. He won’t forget today for a long time.”
Brown faces a charge of grand theft.
Terrell and Colucci both face battery charges. The sheriff’s office is recommending those charges also be hit with the hate crime enhancement due to the slurs which were used by the Nazi group during the attack.
Colucci already faces charges in Arizona, where police said he threatened a group of Black men with a gun outside of a hotel.