Viral video brings felony charges for Florida men accused of berating teen in Sanford neighborhood
SANFORD, Fla. - Two Central Florida men accused of berating a teen driver in Sanford are officially charged.
Donald Corsi, 52, and Howard Hughes, 61, are now both charged with felonies after a violent video surfaced in June and went viral.
The two men can be seen aggressively yelling, and confronting the teen – Jermaine Jones – after he was seen allegedly speeding in the Sanford neighborhood of Lake Forest. Video recorded by Jones showed the two men taunting and shouting at him. Jones alleged that one of the men broke a window on his car.
The teen told FOX 35 in June he called police saying he feared for his life.
"I haven’t gone back since because I don’t feel safe going back into that neighborhood, and I don’t know if I’ll be going back there anytime soon," Jones said at the most recent press conference.
The lawyers for the Jones family released a statement saying the family is pleased charges were formally filed against the men. However, the lawyers say the family is concerned the charges don’t acknowledge the racial undertone many believe played a role in this violent encounter.
The state attorney’s office says it doesn't believe the two men acted with racial bias.
According to court documents, Jones' parents filed a lawsuit in Seminole County court. They are seeking at least $30,000 in damages.