Kids, don’t throw Play-Doh at cars.
Florida man, don’t overreact when Play-Doh is thrown at your car.
Those maxims went unheeded Saturday in Fort Myers, Florida, where 13-year-old Julian Torres admitted to deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department that he and his friends were throwing Play-Doh on the road.
“There wasn’t really cars there, but we were just like throwing in the road,” Torres told police. “And one of my friends threw a piece in the road, and there was a car, like, coming on like really fast, and, like, it kind of like hit the Play-Doh.
“And I guess the guy got upset and he did a whole U-turn around the whole entire park back to the community,” the teen said.
Torres hid in the bushes when the car turned around, but the man caught up with him and attacked him. The confrontation was captured on video.
One of Torres’ friends corroborated the account. He said he saw the man beating up his friend and went to help.
“You f—ers are the ones throwing rocks,” the attacker said, according to the second boy.
Witness Troy Sinopoli said the suspect asked him, “What would you do?”
“I mean, that’s why you have insurance and the police, so let them take care of it,” Sinopoli responded. “It’s not his job to step in that situation. So what do you think should happen to the guy? Definitely charged with assault on a minor. Kid’s a lot smaller than him, too.”
The suspect was a passenger in the car that was hit by the modeling compound. Torres said the unknown Hispanic male punched him, with a closed fist, in the face. Torres fell, and the man continued punching him. Before leaving, the suspect stomped the boy on the face and walked away. He remains at large.
Deputies said the boy was distraught, with abrasions and scratches on his face.
Trish Routte, from Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, said there is no excuse for the man’s behavior.
“These are kids. This is a grown man getting out of a car, attacking children,” Routte said. “After he lays hands on them, he gets back in the car, leaves in a blue car.”
The suspect faces several felony charges, including child abuse. Crime Stoppers described the man as standing 5 feet 9, with an average build. He drove a blue, four-door car — perhaps a Honda — with a pink heart sticker on the rear bumper. Anyone with information is asked to contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
