Play-Doh suspect (SWFL Crime Stoppers).
Police in Florida are searching for a suspect who allegedly attacked a pair of boys over Play-Doh before fleeing the scene in a blue Honda.
A recent incident at the Millennium Apartment Complex in Fort Myers has caught the attention of SWFL Crime Stoppers and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. According to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, witnesses reported a fight at the complex. The sheriff’s office shared a snippet of witness footage that purportedly shows the suspect involved in the altercation.
Responding to the incident, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene on Saturday at 1:04 p.m. They interviewed the alleged victims and obtained details about the altercation that took place. According to the incident report presented to Law&Crime, one of the victims described the events leading up to the altercation.
The victim recounted that he and his friends were walking southbound on Three Oaks Pkwy, engaged in playing with Play-Doh and throwing it towards the street. A blue vehicle suddenly made a U-turn and started pursuing them. In an attempt to escape, the victim and his friends began to run. The victim mentioned that an unidentified Hispanic male from the vehicle punched him in the face with a closed fist, causing him to fall. The assailant then continued to punch the victim in the face while he was on the ground. The victim described the attacker as standing up and stomping on his face before leaving the scene.
Authorities described the boy as distraught, with abrasions and scratches on his face.
The second boy corroborated the story: He said they were throwing Play-Doh toward the street from the sidewalk when they noticed the blue Honda beginning to chase them. They ran, and he saw the man beating up his friend. He went to help.
“You f—ers are the ones throwing rocks,” the attacker said, according to the second boy.
Citing privacy laws to protect victims and children, authorities did not name the boys and they redacted swathes of the affidavit, but one of the kids spoke publicly.
“So we started like throwing it in the road,” Julian Torres, 13, told Fort Myers NBC affiliate WBBH. “There wasn’t really cars there, but we were just like throwing in the road. And one of my friends threw a piece in the road, and there was a car coming on really fast, and 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.”
Crime Stoppers described the man as standing 5 feet, 9 inches, with an average build. He drove a blue, four-door car — perhaps a Honda — with a pink heart sticker on the rear bumper.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office told Law&Crime on Tuesday that they have yet to make an arrest. They have asked that anyone with information call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS or deputies at 239-477-1000. Crime Stoppers says you can also reach out to them here.
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