2 more teens arrested in beating of special needs man at forest bonfire party, sheriff says
2 new arrest made for the beating of a teen with a disability
Logan Levesque and Casey Knight were arrested Wednesday for allegedly punching a teen with special needs at a bonfire party at Tiger Bay State Forest. Deputies arrested two other teens over the weekend in connection to the beating.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Two more men have been arrested for the alleged brutal attack of another teen at a bonfire party in the Tiger Bay State Forest, bringing the total number of arrests to four, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
Sebastian Bowers, Cody Stripling, Logan Levesque, and Casey Knight are accused of attacking a disabled man at a party. Credit: Volusia County Corrections inmate search
2 more arrests made in the attack of teen with special needs
What we know:
Logan Levesque and Casey Knight were arrested on Wednesday on charges of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult, aggravated battery with bodily harm, and battery by strangulation, according to the Volusia County booking page. Both teens are being held on no bond.
Along with the charges filed against him, Knight is also accused of filming the beating, posting the video on social media, and not reporting the incident to law enforcement.
Deputies arrested Cody Stripling and Sebastian Bowers over the weekend for the same charges, the sheriff's office said.
A special needs man was abused at a party
The backstory:
According to an arrest report by the Volusia Sheriff's Office, the incident began at a bonfire in Tiger Bay State Forest on Oct. 23, 2026.
Investigators say the victim went to a bonfire party in the forest with his friend that night.
After being at the party for an hour, his friend then left to take some people back home and bring more people to the party. While the victim was waiting for his friend, he sat on the tailgate of a pick-up truck, and that's when Bowers and Stripling approached him and started mocking him, according to an arrest report.
Cell phone video shows the victim being pulled off the tailgate and Bowers, Stripling, and other men in the video spitting, slapping, punching, and kicking the victim repeatedly, the report said.
The beaten teen said that he was attacked for roughly 30 to 40 minutes before his friend came back and helped him, according to the arrest report. The victim was left with multiple bruises on his arms, back, and face, the report said.
Friend details possible motive in attack
What they're saying:
The victim's friend told investigators that he went back to the party to find out what happened when he left. He was told that the men attacked the victim because he had "insulted and brushed up against an unidentified party-goer," reports say.
"If you're gonna stand there, and you're gonna film this stuff, and you're gonna post it, your a-- is getting locked up," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a press conference on Thursday.
"America should take a look at these brave young men, join the military, do something that is real and creative, instead of picking on somebody who can't defend themselves," Chitwood said.
What we don't know:
We don't know how many people attend the party. We don't know if more people may be arrested or facing charges in connection to the attack.
What you can do:
The Volusia Sheriff's Office asks anyone with additional information to call 386-248-1777 or email Det. Meeks at LMeeks@volusiasheriff.gov.
The Source: This article was written with information gathered from a Facebook post and an arrest report by the Volusia Sheriff's Office. Booking photos of the suspects were retrieved for the Volusia County Corrections website.