Man charged with punching disabled teenage girl at Epic Theatres

Palm Coast Observer
News

A 39-year-old Palm Coast man punched a disabled teenage girl at Epic Theatres in Town Center Oct. 21 after the teen got into an argument with the man’s teenage daughter, according to Sheriff’s Office records.

The 16-year-old victim had come to the theater that evening with her 19-year-old sister. The two were at the front of the theater near the admission area when 39-year-old C.J. Nelson’s teenage daughter saw the 16-year-old girl — who she’d had a fight with earlier at school — and walked away.

But then she returned with “a large group of people,” according to a Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit. The 19-year-old saw them coming, and walked over to her sister, and both entered the admission line.

Nelson walked up to the 19-year-old and asked who she was. Nelson’s daughter said, “Probably her little sister.” The 19-year-old replied, “No, I’m her older sister.” The 19-year-old told deputies that Nelson and his daughter started an argument with her and tried to punch her. She was struck in the forearm.

The 19-year-old then tried to pay for movie admission, but her card was declined and she stepped out of line to call the bank. As she did so, “more people form the group walked up to her asking who she was,” and she didn’t answer, according to the report. Then Nelson’s daughter began yelling at her, and the 19-year-old “told (the girl) if she wanted to fight her then to swing.”

Nelson got between the two teens and tried to punch the 19-year-old, but missed; the 19-year-old’s 16-year-old sister then got between the 19-year-old and Nelson, and Nelson punched the younger girl in the face, according to the affidavit.

The 19-year-old yelled that she was calling the police, and Nelson replied, “I don’t care, that’s my second home,” and left.

Deputies were dispatched at about 8:11 p.m.

A witness identified Nelson as the suspect, and another witness who was standing nearby recorded part of the incident on her cell phone. The footage shows Nelson advancing on the 19-year-old and her 16-year-old sister as the two teens try to get away, then punching the 16-year-old in the face, knocking her to the ground.

“It will be noted that (the 16-year-old) is a juvenile and is disabled due to her left eye,” a deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Deputies arrested Nelson at his home on charges of misdemeanor battery and felony child abuse. He told deputies that he’d heard someone yell “knife,” causing him to react.

“The video recording does not support this statement and no one can be heard yelling that phrase in the portion of the incident that was recorded,” the deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit.