Daytona Beach police investigate attacks targeting homeless

Police concentrating on area of bus station terminal

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona Beach police say two people attacked a homeless man and stole his wallet in early August in the latest attack on the homeless.

On Thursday, the victim's friend told Local 6 about the attack and that he's also worried for his own safety.

"He was sleeping on the bench and they just walked up to him and beat him up and took his wallet and everything," said the man.

The victim's friend is homeless and didn't want to reveal his identity, but couldn't believe what happened to his friend after getting punched, kicked and his head slammed into a bench-- leaving him for dead at the Voltran bus stop.

"He had a broken nose and two black eyes. He's an old guy, 60 years old. He's an old vet, he don't ever bother anybody," the victim's friend said.

Daytona Beach police said other recent attacks on the homeless involved two men getting struck by a BB gun and another man suffered from a fractured eye socket. However, police said they don't have much to go on.

"The only common factor is that a couple of them have happened at Mary McCleod Bethune and Ridgewood," said Jimmie Flynt of the Daytona Beach Police Department.

That area is right in the surrounding area of the bus station terminal.

"We're out there on patrol. We just can't be everywhere. The detectives are vigilantly trying to locate the victims and if there's any other witnesses and stuff like that. That's about all we can do," said Flynt.

Police haven't made any arrests on any of the cases so far because they said they don't have enough suspect description.


About the Author:

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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