Police arrested a man in Florida who was captured on video pinning an 11-year-old girl to the ground while she begged for her life after he became convinced she was the culprit in a week-long egging attack on his home.
Marius Mutu, 43, faces charges for battery and the false imprisonment of the young girl.
The child, fearing for her safety, repeatedly screamed for help while Mutu chased her. He roughly forced her to the ground as she continued wailing.
“Please, I wasn’t doing anything. I swear on my life. Help me,” she cried out in terror.
It’s unclear what Mutu said to her in response, but she flailed wildly as she tried to squirm away from the much-larger man.
Mutu tried to grab her arms and force them to her sides, as seen in a video captured by neighbors on a nearby balcony.
Other residents in the apartment complex called authorities to report an assault after overhearing the girl in distress.
Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene around noon Saturday. By then, a bystander had intervened and tried to force Mutu off of the girl, according to the video.
Mutu tried to make his case by telling authorities that he assumed the girl had egged his home after he spotted her nearby. He claimed that he was trying to take a photo to report her to the apartment complex’s management team, according to the sheriff’s office.
Neighbors and authorities alike were appalled by Mutu’s actions.
“The long-term trauma, and the parents and anybody else who witnessed it, like there’s kids all up and down these streets every night. I just think of like, ‘What if it was my kid or our kid?’ Like it could be anybody,” resident Hannah Noel told Count On News 2.
“This child endured a terrifying and traumatic experience at the hands of someone who chose to take matters into his own hands,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“We remain committed to protecting our children and ensuring those who harm them are held fully accountable.”
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