When a 62-year-old man with a cane told a group of teens to get off his lawn, at least one of the offended youngsters called out, “He’s scary, cuz!” What was caught on video next was frightening indeed.
The 200 block of Glenwood Avenue, where the incident occurred. (Photo Credit: Google Maps)
After several teenage girls trespassed onto the front yard of a 62-year-old man’s residence on the 200 block of Glenwood Avenue in Syracuse, New York, the man approached the teens and politely asked them not to sit on his property, according to police. Unfortunately, the girls didn’t take too kindly to the man telling them to get off his lawn.
It quickly became evident that the request didn’t sit well with the girls as a confrontation ensued between the teens and the 62-year-old man with a cane. In fact, what happened next lead to the arrest of two of the teen girls, according to Syracuse.com — and it was all captured on cell phone video by a bystander and posted to Facebook.
In the cell phone footage, which appears to begin after the resident initially asked the teens to get off his lawn, the 62-year-old man is seen standing with a cane between two girls as a voice is heard saying, “He’s scary, cuz!” But, it’s what happened next that’s truly frightening. As the man leaned his head down to apparently say something to one of the teens, she punches him in the face before running into the street.
As the man chases her, the other girl appears to grab him from behind before spinning him around. He then begins swinging his cane and running before losing his balance and falling to the street. His stumble causes the teens to erupt in laughter as they hoot and holler, celebrating his misfortune. The girls’ glee, however, would be short-lived.
As the man chases one teen, the other girl appears to grab him from behind, spinning him around. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
The man loses his balance and falls to the street amid laughs, as the teens hoot and holler. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
Although the video ends after the man gets back up and continues to run towards the group of teens, things were far from over. According to the Syracuse Police, Officer Matthew Tynan responded to a report of an assault, where the man told the officer he was punched in the face and head not once but twice by the two girls seen in the video after he politely asked them to get off his lawn.
Initially, the police couldn’t find the suspects, and the investigation was turned over to detectives working in the Syracuse City School District. The following day, Detectives Chris Hodell and Ken Albro were about to track down the two girls, ages 14 and 15. Although the detectives did not say how they were able to identify the girls, it’s likely thanks to the video of the altercation.
Video of the incident likely led to the identification of the teens involved. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
The video also provided evidence of the assault. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
The two teens were arrested and charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. The girls were released to their parents with tickets to appear in family court, but due to their ages, their names were not released to the public.
CYN Central spoke to the man in the video the day after the assault, at which time he was nursing a bruised eye. Although he didn’t want to discuss what led to the altercation due to the investigation, he did say that the video had reached relatives of his as far away as Ireland as the footage went viral on various social media platforms, including Facebook, where it quickly amassed nearly a million views.
Video of the incident, recorded with a cell phone by a bystander, has gone viral on social media platforms including Facebook. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
The news outlet also spoke to the mother of one of the girls in the clip. She admitted that what her daughter was seen doing is wrong and was completely uncalled for. The mom also said she apologizes to the 62-year-old man and that her daughter accepts responsibility and the consequences of her actions.
Although the outcome of the case is unknown, we can assume these teens got more than they ever bargained for when attacking the older gentleman. The general public might not know their names, but their friends, family, and community certainly recognize them. So, let this be a lesson to other youngsters. One bad decision can lead to a life-long reputation, thanks to the power of social media. Before you react, make sure you’re comfortable with your actions going viral. After all, this isn’t the kind of behavior anyone should want to be known for.