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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man was arrested for attacking an 11-year-old child, believing she had been throwing eggs at his apartment for the past week, authorities said.
On Saturday, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded after receiving reports of the assault in Tampa.
Marius Mutu, 43, was seen on video pinning the young girl down, as she screamed out, begging for someone to help her. Deputies said Mutu chased the girl and forced her to the ground.
The scream from the child alerted a resident in the Tampa apartment, who could be heard telling another individual to call 911.
“Please, I wasn’t doing anything,” the child screamed out as the man restrained her to the ground. “I swear on my life. Help me.”
Mutu can be seen responding to her, but it is unclear what he said. The girl cries out again that she wasn’t doing anything, as Mutu tries grabbing her arms and pinning them down.
Neighbors reacted to the video, saying it’s hard to watch and hear.
“As a mom, it makes me sick to my stomach,” said Hannah Noel, a resident. “For a grown man to do something to a vulnerable person is ridiculous.”
Mutu spoke with officials, saying someone had been throwing eggs at his apartment for the past week. When it happened again that day, Mutu assumed the child walking by was responsible.
According to the sheriff’s office, the man said he was trying to take a photo of the child to report the incident to the apartment’s management.
“The long-term trauma, and the parents and anybody else who witnessed it, like there’s kids all up and down these streets every night,” Noel said. “I just think of, like, what if it was my kid or our kid, like it could be anybody.”
Before the video concludes, another man intervenes, demanding that Mutu get off the child.
“This type of behavior is not only unacceptable, it’s reprehensible. The safety of our children is non-negotiable,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “This child endured a terrifying and traumatic experience at the hands of someone who chose to take matters into his own hands. We remain committed to protecting our children and ensuring those who harm them are held fully accountable.”
Mutu was arrested Saturday on charges of battery and false imprisonment.
NewsNation affiliate WFLA has reached out to the sheriff’s office for additional information.