Prince George’s County police say they have arrested the alleged attacker of an elderly man in Beltsville, Maryland. News4’s Aimee Cho has the story.
A man and woman face assault charges in the brutal beating of a man in his 80s in Beltsville, Maryland, after what police describe as an argument over possible car damage. The woman accused the senior of damaging her car, she called her partner and he beat the older man, police say.
Julias Wright, 25, of Fort Washington, and Christina Felder, 44, of Beltsville, were arrested and charged in the June 2 attack, Prince George’s County police said Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys.
The victim in the attack that was caught on video is still on a ventilator in the hospital more than a week later. He suffered bleeding on his brain and doctors are reluctant to operate on him due to his frail condition and his age, according to court documents.
"It's such a horrific incident. The victim is struggling for his life and that's something that you can't get back," neighbor Duanne Crawley told News4.
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According to the initial investigation, Felder and the victim “got into a dispute that turned physical over damage to Felder’s car potentially caused by the victim when he opened his car door,” a statement from police said.
Felder called Wright — with whom she is in a relationship — and he assaulted the senior, police said.
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Graphic video footage showed a younger man repeatedly punch and stomp on an older man as he struggled on the ground.
The attack occurred in a residential parking lot of the Maryland Farms condominiums, in the 11300 block of Cherry Hill Road. The video clip released by police showed the younger man stride up to the older man. They appear to speak, and then the younger man winds up and punches him. The senior falls to the ground, and the younger man repeatedly punches him and stomps on him. The attack lasts about 30 seconds.
"It’s an awful video. It’s an awful set of circumstances that occurred. This is somebody’s father, somebody’s grandfather," Prince George’s County Police Sgt. Lamar Robinson said.
The suspect, a large man, fled the area in a white pickup truck that also was caught on camera.
Police had pleaded for help from the public identifying the attacker seen on video.
Tips from the public helped the investigation, police said Monday.
"I think this is a great thing that they have made an arrest and to know that that person is off the street," Crawley said.
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Officers got warrants for Wright’s and Felder’s arrests, and the department’s fugitive unit found them in a hotel in Howard County on Friday, police said.
Wright was charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Felder was charged with first- and second-degree assault and solicitation of assault.
Anyone with information relevant to the case is still asked to contact police. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
