A Tampa, Florida man was arrested after he allegedly tackled an 11-year-old girl because he thought she was egging his apartment, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported.
Sheriff Chad Chronister condemned the man's actions in a post on X.
"This type of behavior is not only unacceptable, it's reprehensible," the sheriff said. "The safety of our children is non-negotiable."
A bystander captured video of the incident that occurred last week, which was released by the sheriff's office on Monday. In the footage, Marius Mutu, 43, can be seen pinning an unidentified child to the ground. The child screams for help and insists that she hadn't done anything wrong, according to the sheriff's office.
“I wasn’t doing anything, I swear to God!”, the girl screams in the video. “Help me! Help me!”
The man, who deputies say is Mutu, can be seen pinning the girl’s arms down. Neighbors gathered to confront the man and demand he stop restraining the girl.
A woman can be heard telling him to "get off her" and another person demands: "Get your hands off of her."
When deputies arrived on the scene Mutu reportedly told them that someone had been egging his apartment for a week, according to the sheriff's office. When it happened again on the day of the incident, Mutu told the deputies he assumed that the girl — who had been walking near his property — was the culprit, CNN reported.
Mutu reportedly told deputies that he intended to get a photo of the girl to report her to the apartment's management. He was arrested on the scene and has been charged with one count of battery and one count of false imprisonment, according to county records.
“This child endured a terrifying and traumatic experience at the hands of someone who chose to take matters into his own hands,” Chronister said. “We remain committed to protecting our children and ensuring those who harm them are held fully accountable.”
According to county records, Mutu was released on bond. It's unclear if he has retained an attorney or if one has been provided by the state.
