Police arrested two men in Vero Beach, Fla., for posting a video of themselves beating up a disabled homeless man to Facebook.
Authorities report that Nicholas Marr, 26, and William Gregory, 30, told the homeless man they would pay him $20 if Marr could slap him while Gregory filmed the beating. Instead, Marr beat the 33-year-old victim in the face until he was unconscious, according to WJXT-TV.
Gregory (pictured) uploaded the video his Facebook account on Sept. 30, where a viewer identified Marr and contacted police. Police discovered the homeless man through an outreach organization, which interviewed the victim and found that the man barely remembered the incident.
A psychological evaluation revealed that he was “low to borderline intellectual functioning,” thus meeting the requirements to be a disabled adult for battery charges.
Gregory was arrested Thursday, Dec. 6, and Marr was arrested the following day. Both were charged with aggravated abuse of a disabled adult. Additionally, Gregory was charged with a felony battery due to a previous conviction and Matt was charged with a misdemeanor battery.
According to a search on the Indian River County jail database, Marr has been arrested twice before and Gregory was arrested one time prior to this incident. Both men were involved in battery-related incidents.
“We want people to know that the Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate this type of activity. Simply because a person is homeless does not mean that we will not work just as hard to protect them from harm,” said Sgt. Michael Pierce to the news station.
Marr and Gregory posted bond and now await a court date.
Photo via Indian River County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook