HOLMES BEACH – A third suspect in the violent beating of a 40-year-old man has been arrested.
Cameron Evans, 18, of Sarasota was located and arrested by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office on April 14 at 10:30 a.m. after a warrant had been issued for the aggravated battery of Evan Purcell.
John William Bartholow, 17, of Ellenton was taken into custody by police on March 30 and an unidentified juvenile also has been charged and is in the custody of his parents.
Purcell, a Holmes Beach resident, was walking his dog with his 10-year-old niece on the evening of March 23 when he came upon some teenagers breaking bottles, drinking alcohol and vandalizing Anna Maria Elementary School property, according to a police report. Purcell yelled at the group to stop what they were doing, which resulted in the teens becoming aggressive. Although Purcell waved a pocket knife as he feared for his safety, it was not a deterrent to the teens, who knocked him to the ground and beat him severely with a wooden object, possibly a skateboard.
According to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, police arrived on the scene about 9 p.m. to find the assailants gone and Purcell unconscious on the ground. He was taken to HCA Blake Hospital in stable condition, but suffering from multiple serious injuries.
Although there was no video of the incident, the suspect vehicle was identified by the city’s license plate recognition camera as a white Kia Sportage. Tokajer said the suspects were not students of Anna Maria Elementary, and no one related to the school was believed to be involved.
Since the incident, several security measures have been put in place at Anna Maria Elementary to deter loitering on school grounds after hours. Locking gates have been installed at all vehicle entrances and “No Beach Parking” signs have been posted to keep the lots clear during the day as well.
Beach parking still will be allowed at the school on certain holiday weekends including Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day, according to Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth.
Purcell’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with his medical bills. As of April 10, the effort has raised $17,160 of their $25,000 goal. To make a donation, visit GoFundMe.
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