68-Year-Old Woman Tossed Into Pool By Teen Says He Should've Remained Locked Up
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NORTH LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – The North Lauderdale woman who was forcibly tossed in a pool in a video that's gone viral thinks the teen accused in the crime should have remain locked up.
Nancy James, 68, is trying to regain to some sense of normalcy following an incident that was caught on cellphone video and has gone viral.
According to an arrest report, the cellphone video shows a 16-year-old boy picking up James, falling to the ground, then dragging her to the pool and tossing her in, all while a crowd cheers the teen on.
"He should be having some kind of psychiatric care to find out what would you do something like this," said James as CBS4 News caught up with her Tuesday evening.
James is a board member at the Player's Club Townhomes in North Lauderdale. She said this all happened Saturday when the music at an unauthorized social media pool party got too loud. She walked to the pool with her dogs to ask them to turn down the music.
That's where it all went wrong. As she was grabbed, you could see her leashed dogs and one was nearly dragged into the water with her. She was grateful, though, in all the chaos a couple of kids stayed behind.
The teen accused of tossing her in the pool looked very different in court Tuesday morning dressed in a suit, with his mother by his side. He turned himself in Monday evening. It was his mom who arranged it, along with the family attorney.
"His family is a good family," said attorney Paul Molle. "They believe in accountability, responsibility. When the incident came to light she made every effort to cooperate every way possible as to her child. She turned him in yesterday, surrendered him."
The judge ordered that the Coral Springs High School junior is kept in home detention for the next three weeks. He can go to school, church and can travel with his basketball team. James says the punishment so far does not fit the crime.
"He should not be on the basketball team. That should be taken away," said James. "He should have stayed in a detention center, yes. This is just like a slap on the wrist. Keep him locked up all summer. And then let him go back to school and then keep him locked up for the next summer."
The teen has a court hearing scheduled in June.
He's being charged with battery on a person 65 years of age or older.