A Hialeah man was arrested Tuesday after police say he blocked another driver's vehicle in a Walmart parking lot and attacked him so severely that the victim needed emergency surgery. The alleged assault happened in May, but the arrest report's account of widespread fractures is bringing the case back into focus.
Christian Jose Sagrado, 49, of Miami Gardens, was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery, according to Local 10. The arrest followed a May 23 confrontation in the parking lot of a Hialeah Walmart.
The site is the West 49th Street Neighborhood Market, which Walmart's store directory lists among its Hialeah locations. Police say Sagrado parked directly behind the victim's vehicle, blocking it from leaving, while the victim was inside with his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant, and a young child.
Investigators allege Sagrado approached the vehicle, punched the victim in the face and then grabbed him around the waist, lifted him and slammed him onto the ground. The victim suffered fractures to his skull, neck, lower back, ribs and sternum, according to Local 10's report.
What The Aggravated Battery Charge Means
Florida law defines aggravated battery to include battery that intentionally or knowingly causes great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement, or involves a deadly weapon. The Florida Legislature classifies the offense as a second-degree felony.
Authorities said the victim was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, leaving him with a large scar on his scalp and stitches in his ear. As of Wednesday morning, online jail records listed Sagrado's bond as “to be set,” and no motive was included in the arrest report.
