Man arrested for aggravated battery

A 38-year-old Marathon man was arrested Sunday night after beating a homeless man with a piece of rebar at 15th Street and U.S. 1.

Benjamin Franklin Andrews was charged with aggravated battery and robbery with a weapon.

Deputies were called to the scene at 11:38 p.m. Deputy Corbin Hradecky arrived and a man, later identified as Andrews, was walking toward him at a fast pace. Andrews was angry and was shouting. Andrews was holding a piece of rebar. Deputy Hradecky drew his service weapon and ordered Andrews to drop the piece of rebar and to get on the ground. Andrews complied. There was a large amount of blood on Andrews shoes. Andrews indicated the blood came from the victim and he pointed to the 15th Street right-of-way where Marathon homeless often congregate. Andrews was detained. Andrews had a Motorola cell phone in his pocket.

Deputy Hradecky then met with the victim, who was trying to walk, but was being assisted by two other males. The victim, a 37-year-old homeless man, had a large amount of blood coming from his head. Deputy Hradecky could see a portion of the victim’s skull and other severe lacerations to the victim’s head. The victim also had multiple bruises to his ribs whereupon the impression of the rebar was left on the skin. The victim was having trouble breathing and couldn’t speak. Paramedics treated the victim and he was airlifted Ryder Trauma Center in Miami via Trauma Star. His condition as of Monday was not immediately known.

Multiple witnesses told Deputy Hradecky and Detectives they saw Andrews emerge from a nearby trailer park, walk over to where the victim was sleeping on a mattress and began beating him with a piece of rebar. One witness said Andrews may have struck the victim as many as 20 times with the piece of rebar.

Andrews said the cell phone in his possession belonged to the victim and they had a disagreement earlier in the day as to how long Andrews could borrow the victim’s phone.

Andrews was taken to jail.

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