A 63-year-old moviegoer was brutally beaten by a man who was sitting in the victim’s reserved VIP seat, according to southeast Florida police.
Security video from inside the AMC Pompano Beach 18 cinema last week shows an older man and his wife approach a younger man and his female companion inside a largely empty theater shortly before 10 p.m.
“According to the preliminary investigation, the victim politely asked the subject to move from their seats,” which the victim had reserved, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. “Witnesses said that’s when the subject became hostile, standing up and aggressively getting in the victim’s face.”
The victim moved backwards as the suspect seemingly became more aggressive, causing the older man to fall into an aisle stairway. The man accused of planting himself in the victim’s reserved seats then let loose on the fallen man, pounding him with a barrage of blows that prompted witnesses to rush toward the violence and break up the drubbing.
“The victim suffered several injuries to his head and face,” police said. “He was transported to a local hospital to receive treatment.”
Law enforcement is now hoping someone who sees video of the alleged assailant and his associate leaving the theaters on July 10 will recognize the suspect and phone in a tip.