ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has launched a felony battery investigation after a 19-year-old woman was allegedly slammed to the ground inside a college bar and suffered a serious brain injury.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on August 7, at about 9:30 p.m. at the Knight Library off University Boulevard.
In a TikTok video, the victim, 19-year-old Olivia Nogueras, explained she was at the college bar with her girlfriend when the fight broke out. She suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed after she says she was violently thrown to the ground.
“Two guys started fighting at Knight Library. Then the crowd pushed me inward towards them. They grabbed my friend’s hair. One guy swung, punched me in the face,” said Nogueras.
Nogueras explained she was grabbed and pulled toward the commotion. She said she ultimately punched back in self-defense before she was thrown to the ground.
Video circulating on social media appears to show the aftermath. Nogueras is seen unconscious and seizing on the floor.
“She’s 5′5 and 120 pounds. So, if somebody had enough strength to get up behind her. Pick her up, lift her up, and slam her with enough force to crack her skull. It’s unjustifiable,” said Nogueras’s attorney, Mark NeJame.
Nejame told Channel 9 she was “body slammed from behind” and that the victim’s family contacted him while she was recovering in the ICU.
According to NeJame, his team took the case immediately and issued letters to the bar and others to preserve video evidence of the incident.
As the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s violent crime unit investigates, NeJame is also investigating possible security concerns inside the bar. He believes the incident was preventable.
“We hear about fights outside, but we rarely hear about this type of injury taking place on the inside, particularly to a young person. Why did it happen here?” said NeJame, “Who are the responsible parties? Who are those parties that are liable?”
Nejame told Channel 9 Nogueras had been attending Warner University in Lake Wales on a softball scholarship, but was in a life-changing accident back in October that forced her to stop attending school.
According to Nogueras, she was hit in the temple with a softball, began seizing on the field, and was airlifted to the hospital. The incident left her temporarily wheelchair bound.
Nejame stated Nogueras had learned to walk again and planned to attend Valencia College this year, but those plans are now on hold as doctors evaluate the extent of her new brain injuries.
A preliminary incident report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy working an off-duty detail the night of the fight first spotted a male carrying the victim out of the bar.
The deputy stated the victim had collapsed and was seizing. According to the report, the incident was initially reported as a medical issue. Hours later at the hospital, the victim alleged she was slammed to the floor and punched inside the bar.
There are still questions about exactly what happened and how.
The incident report states the responding deputy spoke to a bartender who claimed he reviewed surveillance video and did not see Nogueras being battered.
The report states that a manager at the Knight Library was in contact with deputies and was working to obtain additional video.
After the incident, the Knight Library posted a statement to Facebook stating, “We have submitted all video footage and are working closely with Orange County Sheriffs to resolve the incident that happened this past Friday night. We strive to promote a clean, fun atmosphere for college students to enjoy, not fight. If you have any video of what happened, please send it to info@knightlibrary.com.”
The post has since been removed from Facebook.
Channel 9 reached out to the Knight Library, asking about security protocol and for a response to the allegations, but did not hear back before news time.
According to NeJame, his office is communicating with witnesses. He said aside from financial compensation to help with Nogueras’ medical bills, the family wants to ensure no one else is hurt.
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