ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida man is facing multiple charges after he attacked a worker contracted by Orlando Utilities Commission before taking off in the victim’s vehicle and then crashing it, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Around 8 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to the area of Edgewater Drive and Lee Road in reference to a carjacking in progress.
The victim told deputies he was waiting outside his work vehicle at a nearby location on Lee Road when a man, identified as 22-year-old Stephano Brutus, approached him asking for a ride, an arrest affidavit states.
[WATCH BELOW: Man jumps into Halifax River after armed carjacking in Volusia County, deputies say]
When the victim declined, the two argued, and Brutus punched the contractor multiple times. During the altercation, the victim was pushed to the ground, hitting his head on the pavement. Brutus then took the victim’s work cellphone and drove off in the vehicle, an arrest affidavit states.
Deputies later found the stolen truck crashed into another car at the intersection of Edgewater Drive and Lee Road. The driver witnessed Brutus fleeing the scene and attempting to open other vehicles.
Brutus, who deputies said is from Wesley Chapel, Florida, was quickly contained near a nearby business where the carjacking victim positively identified him as the suspect, and deputies recovered his cellphone.
Brutus was arrested and taken to the Orange County Jail. While booking, deputies said Brutus attempted to escape but was caught and restrained after resisting deputies.
The carjacking victim suffered lacerations to his head and a large abrasion on his back.
Brutus faces multiple charges, including carjacking, battery, robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, vehicle burglary, escape, and resisting an officer without violence.
News 6 obtained surveillance video from across the street, depicting the events that unfolded Monday morning.
The video appears to show much of what is described in the arrest affidavit. News 6 reviewed the video and observed the victim and defendant standing feet away from each other, before the defendant appears to reach for the driver’s side door.
The victim can be seen trying to stop Brutus from getting in the truck, but Brutus appears to push him.
Over the next minute or so, the defendant is seen getting in and out of the truck twice before finally driving away.
News 6 contacted the victim, who said he was physically OK but was not comfortable doing an interview on Tuesday. He said he is an employee for Utility Partners of America, and was contracted to do work for Orlando Utilities Commission at the time of the incident.
The truck had both “OUC” and “UPA” on the vehicle.