What started as a routine afternoon bus drop-off in Ocoee on April 23 turned into a brutal beatdown that now has 11 Wekiva High School students facing charges. A 16-year-old student was violently attacked at a neighborhood bus stop, with a video later circulating among classmates that shows him on the ground while multiple people punch, kick, and stomp him. He was taken to a hospital with facial swelling, lacerations, and other injuries. Seven of the accused were booked as adults, and four are being handled in the juvenile system.
Police: Video and affidavit lay out the street-side ambush
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Ocoee officers relied on an arrest-warrant affidavit and roughly 30 seconds of video that shows the victim curled into a fetal position while about 11 males surround and assault him. In the clip, one person is seen taking the victim’s shoes. The affidavit says the teen told police he had a “beef” with another student who allegedly warned him he would “be seeing him later.” The victim reported that cars followed the school bus, then multiple teens jumped out and attacked him. A 911 caller told dispatchers, “My son got jumped by a group of boys,” according to the report.
Who police say took part and what they are accused of
Investigators identified seven 18-year-olds as suspects: Travon Keasean Laster, Jakarri Markez Bellamy, Sandy Rejah Zay King, Thomas C. Jones, Josiah Xavier Watson-Greer, Samuel Leon Teague, and Isaiah Jamari McNish. Four additional minors were also charged, ClickOrlando reported. Many of the defendants face counts that include rioting and battery with injury, and Laster is additionally accused of grand theft. School resource officers and Orange County Public Schools police had already been monitoring tensions among some of those involved after threats of retaliatory incidents, according to the reporting.
Legal stakes under Florida’s riot and battery laws
Under Florida law, a battery committed “in furtherance of a riot” is classified as a third-degree felony, per the Florida Statutes. Third-degree felonies fall under the state’s criminal punishment code and can bring prison time and fines, depending on how prosecutors charge and how the court sentences. In practical terms, the rioting and related felony battery counts could expose the defendants to years behind bars if prosecutors secure convictions.
Campus fallout as video ricochets through Wekiva High
Once the video of the bus stop attack started bouncing around student phones at Wekiva High, school administrators stepped in to help identify people in the footage and alert law enforcement, ClickOrlando reported. The affidavit notes that Orange County Public Schools police and school resource officers were already keeping tabs on the individuals involved because of earlier issues and threats. District officials have not released additional public statements about school discipline related to the case.
What comes next in court and in the investigation
Arrest-warrant affidavits for the seven adults have been filed in Orange County courts, and the four minors are being routed through the juvenile justice system, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Prosecutors will decide how to proceed with the adult charges and whether any additional filings are warranted, and upcoming court dockets are expected to show hearing dates and new motions.
