Inset: Hutch Benjamin (Miami-Dade Jail via WFOR). Background: Surveillance video of Benjamin allegedly attacking a woman and her nonverbal son in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (WTVJ).
A 44-year-old Florida man beat a woman and her 12-year-old nonverbal son with a cane or baseball bat as they walked to the boy's bus stop, authorities say.
Hutch Benjamin stands accused of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The attack happened on Tuesday morning in a parking lot near Sunrise Boulevard and Northwest Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. The victim who only identified herself as Chrissy spoke with local CBS affiliate WFOR and NBC affiliate WTVJ about her ordeal. She said she and her son had recently moved to the neighborhood.
They were walking to the bus stop when Benjamin approached them from behind.
"He just said, 'I told you not to come,'" Chrissy recalled.
That's when he allegedly started beating her son, she said. She shielded the boy from the attack and Benjamin allegedly started beating her, too. There was no motive and the victims and suspect did not know one another.
There were bystanders in the area, but they did nothing.
"They didn't care, even if I showed them blood," she said.
Chrissy was eventually able to fend her attacker off. He ran away.
The victims suffered cuts and bruises but were traumatized by the violence. Chrissy said she was stunned by what happened.
"You can't attack a child, especially a kid who's 12 years old and a woman, and get away with it," she said.
Fort Lauderdale cops released surveillance video of the attack.
Benjamin was arrested on Friday.
The victims were thankful that cops took Benjamin off the streets.
"It was never forgotten. And that's what I'm happy for," Chrissy said. "Justice was done in the community. I can feel some type of peace."
Benjamin's next court date was not listed.