Davie, FL back in the lead.......

[JupiterSunsation]

Davie police: Father and neighbor beat man suspected of molesting boy


South Florida Sun Sentinel

9:15 p.m. EDT, October 24, 2009

DAVIE - A father who thought his 3-year-old had been molested has been charged with attempted murder after police say he severely beat the man suspected of fondling his son.

The beaten man has been hospitalized and is in a coma, and a neighbor police say took part in the attack has also been charged with attempted murder.

Luke Petruschke, 38, spent the night at the home of Manuel Vidal Vega in the 5100 block of Davie Road and was preparing to drive away Saturday morning when Vega's child said he had been molested, police said.

Vega, 27, immediately confronted Petruschke and soon was joined by his neighbor Krish Carter, 33. The two men smashed out the windows on Petruschke's car, dragged the driver out and pummeled him with punches, kicks, pieces of concrete and whatever else they could get their hands on, investigators said.

When officers came to arrest him, Vega reportedly said: "That is my son, man. What would you do?"

Officers had initially come to Vega's home in response to a report of a child being molested, said Davie police spokesman Sgt. Greg Gasse.

When officers arrived, though, they found Petruschke injured. He stumbled out of a nearby wooded area upon seeing officers, his face and the rest of his head bloodied and severely swollen, police said. Vega and Carter told officers Petruschke had been in a car accident, but police determined that the damage to Petruschke's vehicle indicated otherwise.

A neighbor later came forward and told police that he ahd witnessed Vega and Carter beating Petruschke and smashing the car and called 911.

Vega and Carter were arrested and were being held Saturday night without bond at the Broward County Jail.

Petruschke was hospitalized, placed in a medically induced coma and put in intenstive care. Police said they plan to charge him with lewd and lascivious molestation if he recovers.

[Expensive Date]

If he did molested the kid don't see a problem.

[MacGyver]

I hope the father and neighbor stay out of jail.

As for the POS baby toucher, hopefully he never makes it out of prison alive.

[JupiterSunsation]

If he did molested the kid don't see a problem.

Sad part is the dad/neighbor will probably do more time than the molester!

[Ratickle]

Sad part is the dad/neighbor will probably do more time than the molester!

Yep. And a lawsuit to follow also I'm sure.

[DollaBill]

If he did it whats the problem?

[Trim'd Up]

I think we need to start a defense fund for the guys. I would do the same thing if it was my kid.

[cigdaze]

That's a well-deserved beating. No problem.

[MacGyver]

He deserves what John Bobbitt got :reddevil:

[clayinaustin]

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? :eek:

The father may have a case against the accused molestor, but the police definitely have an assult case against the father.

It's just sad. :(

[JupiterSunsation]

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? :eek:

The father may have a case against the accused molestor, but the police definitely have an assult case against the father.

It's just sad. :(


Safe to say the 3 year old isn't lying? Let the beatings begin.....

The neighbor is going to have the toughest legal battle, he got involved in multiple felonies without even knowing the details or really being related to the issue.


On a similar note/story:

A guy that was in the same business as me killed his best friend about 10 years ago. Wife told him (lied during a coke fueled argument) that the husband's best friend raped her 20 years prior. Guy loses it, drives to buddy's house and dumps 5 rounds at point blank into his chest. Neighbor's witness it/vehicle etc. and cops from next county show up to question killer. He is home packing his RV with his kids for an impromtu trip away. Guy admits it, tells cops where he tossed gun......gets life (after going broke trying to defend his position). Fast forward 5 years, guy gets conviction tossed, gets turned lose on technicality that visiting detectives took him into custody outside of their jurisdiction without a warrant/local cop present.

Wife made up the story, best friend lost his life......this child molester thing could turn out the same way if the kid lied.

[insanity]

Safe to say the 3 year old isn't lying? Let the beatings begin.....

The neighbor is going to have the toughest legal battle, he got involved in multiple felonies without even knowing the details or really being related to the issue.


On a similar note/story:

A guy that was in the same business as me killed his best friend about 10 years ago. Wife told him (lied during a coke fueled argument) that the husband's best friend raped her 20 years prior. Guy loses it, drives to buddy's house and dumps 5 rounds at point blank into his chest. Neighbor's witness it/vehicle etc. and cops from next county show up to question killer. He is home packing his RV with his kids for an impromtu trip away. Guy admits it, tells cops where he tossed gun......gets life (after going broke trying to defend his position). Fast forward 5 years, guy gets conviction tossed, gets turned lose on technicality that visiting detectives took him into custody outside of their jurisdiction without a warrant/local cop present.

Wife made up the story, best friend lost his life......this child molester thing could turn out the same way if the kid lied.


Homeboy forgot the golden rule...Bros before Ho's. Nothing can make a man lose his mind like a female...that's for sure.:ack2:

[JupiterSunsation]

Man in Davie incident was accused of molestation before

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

8:14 p.m. EDT, October 25, 2009


DAVIE - The Fort Lauderdale man who police say was severely beaten by a furious father after allegedly fondling a 3-year-old boy has been arrested twice before in sex crime cases, but never convicted, according to court records.

Luke Petruschke had to be placed in a medically induced coma Saturday after he was kicked, punched and bludgeoned with concrete blocks and rocks by Manuel Vega, 27, and another man, according to Davie police. The attack happened just after Vega's son had revealed Petruschke fondled him the night before at the family's home in Davie, authorities said.

Officials at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood would not release Petruschke's medical condition Sunday afternoon.

Petruschke, 38, was acquitted in 1997 of two sex-related charges out of Sarasota County and four years later, prosecutors in Osceola County dropped a lewd and lascivious molestation charge against him, online court dockets show. Details from the two cases were unavailable Sunday.

Davie police spokesman Sgt. Greg Gasse said if Petruschke recovers, he will face charges of lewd and lascivious molestation.

While Vega's anger was understandable, it was not his place to act as "judge, jury and executioner" immediately after his son made the accusation, Gasse said.

Vega now faces more serious charges than Petruschke and whatever the boy suffered will be further compounded by having his father behind bars, Gasse said.

Manuel Vega's mother said her son is a good father who "lost it." Vega met Petruschke about two months ago and they would go fishing and play cards together, said Evelyn Vega, the 3-year-old's grandmother.

"I pray that [Petruschke] lives for my son's sake because if he dies, my son will be in jail for a long time," she said. "We will not drop these charges. He will pay for what he did to my grandson."

Manuel Vega and his friend, Krish Carter, 43, are being held at the Broward County Jail without bond, each facing a count of attempted murder. Vega has a prior criminal history that includes convictions for grand theft, burglary and cocaine possession.

Petruschke had spent Friday night at Vega's home on the 5100 block of Davie Road after having dinner with the family, police said. The next morning, as he was preparing to leave, the boy told his parents that Petruschke had fondled him.

Davie police responding to a 911 call about the suspected molestation arrived to find a bloody Petruschke staggering out of a nearby wooded area with severe head injuries.

Vega claimed that Petruschke had wrecked his Chevy Cavalier, but an investigator quickly concluded the damage wasn't the result of a crash, police said. Windows all around the car had been smashed and there were two bloody chunks of concrete inside.

A witness later told police he saw Vega and Carter breaking out the car's windows with the concrete, punching Petruschke inside the car and then pulling him out to continue beating and kicking him. Vega and Carter left Petruschke motionless on the ground and went inside Carter's home to wash their hands, the witness told police.

When Vega was arrested, he told the officers, "That is my son, man. What would you do?"

Evelyn Vega said her grandson seems to be doing fine emotionally, but has asked where his father is.

"Manuel has been in jail before and done his time, but he loves his son and he cares for his son dearly," she said. "I'm pretty sure he's driving himself crazy because he can't see [his son], talk to him and give him a hug. I know Manuel is destroyed in there thinking about this."