OCALA, Fla. — An Ocala man is facing weeks of reconstructive surgeries after he said he was ambushed over the weekend because he asked his neighbors to stop setting off fireworks late into the night.
He said since he was attacked from behind, he doesn’t know who is responsible and therefore can’t give deputies a description.
Chad Hamilton said it was after midnight Sunday when he asked his neighbors and their friends if they would stop lighting fireworks.
Hamilton said after asking them politely to stop the fireworks, he was attacked after he turned away.
“My nose is broken. My lower jaw is detached,” said Hamilton.
His jaw had to be wired shut after the attack.
“I was like, ‘I’m out of here.’ I went to walk away and I end up on the ground with blood everywhere, trying to cover myself,” Hamilton said.
He doesn’t know who hit and kicked him, or how many people may have taken part in the beating.
On Tuesday, his family began packing up their home on Southwest 36th Avenue.
Hamilton’s mother, Ginger Hamilton, said her son, his pregnant wife and their 5-year-old daughter no longer feel safe living steps away from the attack.
“Nobody called 911. Nobody. Until Chad got off the ground and came home,” she said. “He walked away and was attacked from behind, and this was brutal. He has multiple fractures.”
Hamilton said his medical bills are tallied at nearly $75,000.
Marion County deputies are still investigating.