Florida detectives are searching for an attacker who beat a 63-year-old man who asked him to move from reserved seats into an adjacent space.
The attack happened on July 10 at an AMC Theater at 2315 N. Federal Highway in Pompano Beach, Florida shortly before 10 PM. The movie the victim purchased tickets for was not identified.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office released video of the incident, The attacking suspect is shown violently shoving the elderly man up against a railing, then landed several hard blows to his face.
Police said the victim bought VIP tickets, which have assigned seats. When he entered the theater, he saw the suspect and a woman in his seats. Witnesses said he politely requested they move.
The suspect quickly became angry and hostile, police said.
Witnesses had to grab the assailant and pull him off the victim. The suspect and woman then fled the scene. The victim sustained severe injuries to his head and face and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Local Florida station WPEC-CBS12 posted footage of the incident (warning: graphic content):
The Florida incident mirrors one that happened last month in New Mexico.
New Mexico teenager Enrique Padilla, 19 allegedly shot a man dead in a weekend dispute over reserved movie seats.
The dispute that sparked that shooting happened late on a Sunday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The alleged shooter has been captured.