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Man attacked at movie theatre for asking couple to move out of his seat

The victim was treated at a local hospital for injuries to his face and head

Graig Graziosi
Friday 21 July 2023 18:05 BST
Moviegoer beats man after he is confronted for taking his seat

A 63-year-old man was beaten in a Florida movie theatre after he asked a young couple to move from the seats he reserved.

Footage from inside the theatre captured the moment when the suspect left his chair and began pummeling the victim during a showing of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning in Pompano Beach.

The victim told police that he had pre-purchased VIP tickets to see the film for himself and his wife. Upon arriving, they found the young couple in their seats. The victim told police he asked them to move from the seats, which then resulted in the suspect allegedly becoming aggressive.

"That is when the subject turned hostile, aggressive, got in the victim's face to the point that it forced the victim to stand back," Claudinne Caro, a Broward Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.

The man in the photo allegedly beat a 63-year-old man who confronted him on sitting in his pre-paid movie theater seats
The man in the photo allegedly beat a 63-year-old man who confronted him on sitting in his pre-paid movie theater seats (screengrab/ Broward County Sheriff’s Office)

After the victim steps back, he loses his balance and falls onto the steps leading up into the theater’s seating rows. Once he is on the ground, the suspect begins punching him in the face.

Footage from inside the theatre shows the suspect punching the victim multiple times in the face while the victim tries to shield himself on the ground. Other moviegoers can be seen rushing from their seats in an attempt to stop the violence.

The suspect then fled the theatre with the woman accompanying him.

The victim reportedly suffered injuries to his head and face and required treatment at a local hospital.

Police are asking for the public's assistance in identifying the suspect or his companion.

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