BRANDON, FL – Chaos erupted in a Brandon skating rink parking lot on Saturday night, leading to the arrest of 23 minors and six adults. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a distress call from an off-duty deputy at Astro Skate around 9:20 p.m., who reported a large crowd involved in a brawl.
The conflict was sparked when a scheduled party at the rink was called off. The cancellation occurred because the party organizers failed to hire an off-duty deputy for security, a requirement stipulated by Astro Skate. Although the organizers were refunded, the cancellation led to a surge of anger among the attendees.
The disgruntled crowd took to social media, rallying friends and peers to join them at Astro Skate in a protest against the establishment and the police. The sheriff’s office estimates that between 300-400 people gathered in the parking lot and at adjacent businesses.
Despite warnings from the deputies that they were trespassing and needed to disperse, the crowd persisted in their disorderly conduct. This included fights, vandalism of nearby businesses, theft, and general disruption.
Among the incidents reported, a group attacked a minor inside a local barber shop. The victim was assaulted and thrown through the shop’s plate-glass window, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries that required hospital treatment. Another group reportedly caused over $500 in damages to a convenience store, including theft of an unspecified amount of merchandise.
The sheriff’s office apprehended 23 minors, who were taken to a juvenile assessment center, and six adults, who were booked into the Orient Road Jail. The adults were identified as Lekera Evans, 32; Yazelynn Ramos, 21; Malik Carter, 20; Jadyn Sebro, 18; Aliyah Alfonso, 18; and Fareed Carter, 18. Court documents reveal that all six were charged with trespassing, with additional charges of disorderly conduct for Ramos and Sebro, and resisting an officer’s orders without violence for Evans.
Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his outrage at the violent behavior that targeted hard-working people and businesses, creating fear and chaos in the community. He emphasized that such destructive behavior would never be tolerated in Hillsborough County.