18-year-old arrested and charged for beating up 14-year-old boy in Sunny Isles Beach park
SUNNY ISLES BEACH — An 18-year-old man was arrested Friday after he was seen on video beating up a 14-year-old boy in a Miami-Dade County park.
On Friday, the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department received information about a fight at Gwen Margolis Park that was caught on camera and shared across social media. After investigation, officers were able to identify and arrest 18-year-old Mykola Sokol and charged him with aggravated child abuse.
According to the arrest affidavit, the 14-year-old victim and his parents came to SIBPD to report the incident. The victim told police that he was at the park with his friends, sitting at a table when a group of teenagers — including Sokol — approached them.
Sokol then told the victim that he liked his cap and reached for it as if he was trying to take it off his head. The victim then moved Sokol's hand away from his head, when words were exchanged and Sokol then pushed the victim. The victim then hit him back and the fight ensued.
The victim and his family then showed police the video of the fight, saying that he and Sokol were already in the midst of it when the video was taken. In the video, Sokol is seen attacking the victim several times before someone else steps in and punches the victim as well before being pushed away.
The fight then continued before Sokol grabbed the victim, pushed him to the ground, and began pummeling him more with punches and kicks until he was knocked out. After the victim was unconscious, Sokol walked away, the affidavit stated.
According to the affidavit, the victim's mother then called police later that day, saying that Sokol's mother had called her shortly after they left the police department after learning that the video had spread and appeared in a mom group chat.
Police then called Sokol's mother, who confirmed to officers that her son was the young man in the video attacking the victim and that he was 18. Later on Friday, both Sokol and his mother came to SIBPD for questioning, and he identified himself as the attacker. Sokol also identified the other boy who punched the victim.
After being given his Miranda rights, Sokol was arrested, charged, and transported to jail. On Saturday, he appeared in bond court, where his bond was set to $7,500 and placed under alternate house arrest.
