Man Attacks Elderly Neighbor with E-Bike Tire Over Garbage Dispute: Police

Police say a man in Florida who was angry about his 75-year-old neighbor “placing trash” outside of his apartment building hit the man in the face, head, and body with a “electric bicycle tire and rim.”

According to WSVN, George Horton, 47, didn’t like how his friend Rodolfo Ortega was throwing away his trash at the Normandy Isle apartment building, where they lived near the 1200 block of Normandy Drive. The attack is said to have happened on Monday just before noon.

Ortega talked to WSVN and other local news stations about the claimed e-bike attack. He said of Horton, “he tried to kill me.”

Ortega said, “I tell him, ‘Don’t touch me.'”

Ortega also said, “He touched me, and I tried to defend myself.” He said the alleged attack “broke” his head open.

The arrest report for Horton, which was obtained by the local ABC station WPLG, says that he hit Ortega with the bike tire and rim after Ortega used a screwdriver “to defend himself.” The verbal argument between them started with “the placement of garbage,” and things got worse, according to the story.

The attacker hit Ortega hard, and he fell to the ground. He got cuts on his head, hands, and other parts of his body, he told WSVN. A close surveillance camera caught what is thought to be an assault in progress.

Ortega said, “I don’t have anything with the guy, no problem.” He then pointed out that he always says hello to Horton. “I say hello every day.”

In Horton’s arrest record, police said they didn’t find him until Tuesday morning. A report from WPLG says that officers who were watching the area found him at the victim’s front door “knocking and yelling incoherent statements.” When police were talking to Horton, they said he had a “strong” smell of alcohol “emitting from his breath.”

Horton is being held because he is suspected of badly hurting someone aged 65 or more, which is a crime.

The arrest report from the police said that the surveillance footage “clearly depicts the physical altercation as described” and “backs up the victim’s account.”