'A vicious attack': Kids sneak up on homeless World Trade Center consultant who 'narrowly escaped' 9/11 attacks and unleash deadly beatdown, cops say

Three teenagers in Florida have been arrested for unleashing "a vicious attack" on a 64-year-old homeless man, with one of the teens telling cops that the victim "dissed" his "dead homies," according to court documents.

Marcavion Lacey, 19, Robert Pope, 17, and Justin Curry, 13, are all charged with murder in connection with the Oct. 19 attack, which left New York native and former World Trade Center worker Roger Borkum fatally injured in a "pool" of his own blood, according to an arrest report filed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Borkum had worked as a consultant on the 77th floor of Tower 1 before being let go in July 2001, just months before the 9/11 attacks. His family had not seen him in 24 years before his death was reported.

"On Sunday, October 19, 2025, District 1 patrol officers responded to an aggravated battery and discovered Roger Borkum had been severely beaten," the sheriff's office said in a press release on Friday. "He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries four days later."

According to the arrest report, Borkum was found lying on the ground with a large amount of blood "pooled" around his head and a "blood trail extending down the sidewalk." The three teens accused of attacking him were allegedly captured on surveillance video approaching Borkum before the assault.

"They crouched down, as though they were sneaking up on the victim," a law enforcement officer alleges in the report. "I observed all three suspects kick and stomp on the victim. After battering the victim, the suspects fled the crime scene."

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A robbery was reported near the scene, which the teens also allegedly committed, and cops began investigating both incidents. A witness came forward and told police they saw Borkum being attacked and could identify the assailants. Authorities used their description of the teens to track them down and take them into custody, per the arrest report.

"Post Miranda, Marcavion Lacey advised there was a white dude 'laying' and he said something to [one of the suspects]," the report alleges. "He said [one of the suspects] stopped walking and began questioning the victim. While [the suspect] was interacting with the victim, Lacey observed the victim fall on the ground."

Lacey allegedly told police that he and the others, whose names are redacted in the report, "weren't trying to kill the victim." One of the teens told police during questioning that Borkum "dissed" his "dead homies," but he was unable to provide their names.

Surveillance video shows the group "rummaging" through a backpack that Borkum had on him after attacking him before fleeing, according to the arrest report. They returned about 20 minutes later and started assaulting him again with "multiple" kicks, the report says.

"This case is a heartbreaking reminder of how young some offenders have become and how devastating the consequences are for victims, families, and the surrounding community," the sheriff's office said in its press release.

"JSO will continue to work closely with the state to get justice for Mr. Borkum," the office added. "Parents and guardians, get involved in your children's lives. There are resources available for kids to keep them out of trouble. Take action before it's too late."

Borkum's obituary says he was married before becoming homeless and his wife died while on a humanitarian trip to Africa. "He himself narrowly escaped death … in late July 2001," the obit says, in reference to his World Trade Center job. "His coworkers perished on Sept. 11."

Cops said Curry, the youngest attacker, was just 12 years old when the assault occurred; Pope was 16. All three suspects were still behind bars Sunday.