A Florida man faces battery and false imprisonment charges after allegedly attacking an 11-year-old girl he suspected of egging his Tampa home. The incident, captured on video, shows Marius Mutu, 43, restraining the young girl on the ground as she pleads for help. The altercation occurred on April 19 at Allison Park Place, leading to swift intervention by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
According to WFTV, deputies arrived after receiving reports of the assault at roughly noon, where they apprehended Mutu. Mutu told authorities he mistook the child, who was passing by, for the individual responsible for the egging. Amidst the confrontation, residents of the Tampa apartment complex expressed horror, with one neighbor, Hannah Noel, saying in an interview with WFLA, "As a mom, it makes me sick to my stomach,” said Hannah. “For a grown man to do something to a vulnerable person is ridiculous."
Footage obtained by authorities showcases Mutu pinning the girl down, who can be heard screaming, "Please, I wasn’t doing anything,” the child screamed out as the man restrained her to the ground. “I swear on my life. Help me." A bystander eventually steps in, imploring Mutu to release the girl, while another instructs someone to call 911, as detailed by WFLA.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister condemned Mutu's actions in statements to the press. "This type of behavior is not only unacceptable, it’s reprehensible. The safety of our children is non-negotiable," Chronister said, as noted by People.
Mutu said he took the photo of the girl to report something to apartment management, but that didn’t reduce the seriousness of the charges. The case is now in court, where he will face assault charges that have deeply shaken the community and hurt the child's sense of safety.
