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Man in Minion Costume Beaten By Stranger on Florida Boardwalk, Cops Say
“I love my job. Nothing makes me prouder than to come out and entertain these kids," said the victim of the random beating.
A man in a Minion suit was attacked and beaten by a stranger on a Florida boardwalk on Sunday, police say.
While dressed in a cylindrical yellow suit to look like a character from the popular "Despicable Me" movies, Jamie Roehm, 40, who is legally blind and mentally disabled, was randomly targeted and beaten outside of his workplace, Daytona Beach Police said in a statement.
Ryan Nihart, 25, (pictured above) allegedly approached Roehm outside of Jungle George’s on the Daytona Beach boardwalk, lifted him up and dropped him to the ground.
“When Roehm stood up and tried to get his bearings, Nihart then kicked him and knocked him down a second time,” according to a police statement. “As Nihart was doing this, he was being encouraged by two people on the sidewalk.”
Surveillance and body cam video caught the whole ordeal, and show Nihart being tackled and held down by the store owner and another man until police arrived.
“I’m an Instagram star,” Nihart announced to police. “I’m just doing a prank.”
Bodycam footage shows Nihart claiming that he was filming a prank and saying that he had asked for permission to beat the man in the Minion suit beforehand. As he was being handcuffed, Nihart apologized profusely and continued to claim that the beating was just part of a video prank, video shows.
Despite the beating, Roehm was able to stand and walk away and was back working in his costume the next day, Fox35 in Orlando reported.
“I was outside doing my job,” Roehm told The News-Journal in Daytona Beach. “I love my job. Nothing makes me prouder than to come out and entertain these kids.”
The News-Journal reported that Nihart posted a video to YouTube following the attack apologizing for his behavior.
“So, I messed up this week, guys,” Nihart said in the video, according to The News-Journal. “I am so sorry. “I apologize to anybody that I offended or anybody that I will offend. But now I am on the news for something that was a big misunderstanding. I really was trying to make a funny video.”
Nihart was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and battery, according to police.
Police say that the Minion suit was destroyed, and that the owners of the store valued it at $300.
[Photo: Daytona Beach Police Department]
