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Lake County deputies say three teens were arrested Sunday for breaking into cars and severely beating a man.
Investigators say William Pelkey confronted the suspects about the burglaries with a bat, but one of the suspects got a hold of it and started hitting Pelkey with it.
Deputies were called to the scene at around 4 a.m. on Northland Road, near Mount Dora.
They say when they arrived, Pelkey was lying in the road.
“He’s a musician and he’s got several broken bones, one of them being his arm and hand, and for a musician it’s devastating,” said his friend Heather Allen.
Officials say the 46-year-old was rushed to ORMC.
“He’s had surgeries and he’s recovering right now,” said Pelkey’s brother-in-law Art Chartrand.
Deputies say three suspects were arrested near the scene. Two of them are 16 and one is 14.
They say the teens hit eight cars in the area, including Shane Herron’s.
“They came in, opened up the doors, got tools out the back and rummaged through the glove box,” Herron said.
Investigators say the suspects will be charged with burglary, theft and attempted murder.
Deputies were on scene for throughout the day Sunday collecting fingerprints and other evidence.
“They were teenagers out for a good time, they thought, but now they’re in for a world of trouble,” Allen said.
Deputies say the teens will be transferred to Department of Juvenile Justice in Ocala.