Lee County detectives arrested a suspect in the North Fort Myers beating of a 75-year-old man Wednesday night.
55-year-old Kenneth Wood was arrested for the felony battery of Alex Dimitrelos.
The incident happened on September 9 at a laundry mat. Wood has two prior arrests in Lee County, both for battery.
The fight started over the use of a dryer when the victim says Wood attacked him and smashed his cell phone when he tried to call 9-1-1 for help.
The 75-year-old feared for his life at the Coin Laundry a few blocks from his home. Surveillance video from that morning of September 9 shows what happened.
"He pushed me down on the ground and then he started kicking me," said Dimitrelos.
He says it all began when he started putting his laundry in a dryer. He says the six-foot tall bully told him to scram, because he wanted the dryer for himself , even though there were plenty of other empty ones available. They got into an argument. The video shows the bigger man hitting Alex. Alex gets up and tries to reach for his cell to call 9-1-1. That's when the attacker wallops him again.
"[He] grabs my cell phone smashes it on the wall and then starts kicking me like i was a soccer ball," described Dimitrelos.
All of it happening in front of Alex's wife, who could only watch helplessly.
Crime Stoppers thanks the public for their quick response in helping identify Wood and the Lee County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit for the quick arrest.
There really is no place in society for wild animals like this low life
