PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Two men were arrested on Friday after deputies say they assaulted a man with a shovel and struck a second man in the head with a rock causing life-threatening injuries.
Pinellas County detectives say that on June 22, a 60-year-old man was standing outside of his apartment on Grove Park Avenue in unincorporated St. Petersburg when he saw two men trespassing and cutting through the apartment complex parking lot. Detectives say the resident yelled at the men and told them to stay off the property.
Detectives say that the two men left the property and returned carrying rocks and a shovel.
Detectives say the subjects threaten the resident with bodily harm and ran after him with the weapons. The resident was able to retreat into his apartment where he called 911.
As the two men were walking away from the resident's apartment, a second resident, a 64-year-old man, stepped outside of his apartment and confronted the same two subjects for trespassing.
Detectives say there was a verbal argument between the 64-year-old resident and the two subjects. During the argument, one of the subjects threw a rock and struck the resident in the head. The man fell to the ground and the subjects fled the scene on foot.
When deputies arrived, they found the 64-year-old victim conscious lying on the ground outside his apartment. The victim said he was having an argument with two unidentified men when he tripped over a parking space curb as he was retreating back to his apartment. The victim never disclosed that he was struck in the head with a rock.
Paramedics from Lealman Fire Department responded to the scene; however, the 64-year-old man refused medical attention and refused to be transported to the hospital. Initially, it appeared he had suffered minor injuries as a result of tripping and falling on the ground, deputies say.
Detectives say later that same evening, the 64-year-old man's medical condition deteriorated and he called for paramedics. He was transported to Bay Pines Veteran's Hospital where his medical condition worsened.
The victim was later flown to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg hospital for a head injury that was considered life-threatening.
During the course of the investigation, deputies obtained surveillance video of the incident. The surveillance video confirmed that the 64-year-old resident was having a verbal argument with two unidentified men when one of them threw a rock at him and struck him in the head.
PCSO says that through various investigative techniques, detectives were able to positively identify the suspects in the video as 19-year-old Jamari Brown and 20-year-old Dayquan Brown.
The two men were located on Friday afternoon at a residence in unincorporated St. Petersburg.
Detectives interviewed Jamari and say he admitted to assaulting the 60-year-old resident and striking the 64-year-old resident with the rock. Detectives interviewed Dayquan and say he admitted to assaulting the 60-year-old resident with a shovel.
Jamari was charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Dayquan was charged with one count of aggravated assault.
They were both arrested and transported to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.
