A 70-year-old Winter Park developer was arrested after deputies say he grabbed a 13-year-old boy by the neck, squeezed, and hurled the teen’s cellphone into the lake behind his home during a backyard confrontation. The run-in started, investigators say, when a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old cut across the couple’s yard and the older boy pulled out his phone to record what was happening. Kyle Riva now faces multiple charges in Seminole County.
According to court documents, the encounter unfolded around 7:10 p.m. when the boys walked through the property and the homeowner’s wife told them to leave. The report states the 13-year-old was first pushed near the collarbone, then grabbed "by the neck and began to squeeze," before Riva allegedly took the teen’s phone and tossed it into Lake Antigua, which backs up to the yard. Those details appear in court records reviewed by Tampa Free Press.
Local station WFTV identified the suspect as developer Kyle Daniel Riva and reported that deputies placed him in handcuffs at his Winter Park home before taking him to the county jail. According to the station, deputies noted bruising with finger impressions on the boy’s throat and said the phone was destroyed after being thrown into the lake. The outlet quotes deputies as saying Riva allegedly "grabbed the minor by the neck, restricting his breathing and blood flow to his head."
Charges and court dates
Seminole County court records list charges that include third-degree battery by strangulation, robbery by sudden snatching, and a misdemeanor count for property damage between $200 and $1,000. Riva made an initial court appearance on Tuesday and is no longer being held in the county jail. He is scheduled to return for arraignment on Aug. 25, according to a report by Tampa Free Press.
Legal implications
Under Florida law, robbery by sudden snatching is defined as taking property directly from a person and, if no weapon is used, is treated as a third-degree felony. Battery by strangulation is also classified as a felony offense. A third-degree felony in Florida is generally punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine, although the actual sentence depends on prosecutors and the court. The statutory language appears in Florida Statutes section 812.131 and Florida Statutes section 784.041.
Phone disputes turning violent
This arrest fits into a broader pattern of Florida confrontations that spiral once a cellphone gets involved. In February, deputies in Clearwater said a man put a child in a chokehold during an argument over a phone, a case detailed in Clearwater phone clash.
Prosecutors will review the arrest report and decide whether to file formal charges as the case moves through Seminole County court. Authorities told WFTV that the investigation remains active, and court records indicate the arraignment date is set for later this summer.
