Autistic teen beaten after being lured to a house party

Police have arrested a man for allegedly beating an autistic teenage boy after being lured to a house party.

Brutal video footage has emerged which shows 16-year-old Aaron Hill from Okeechobee, Florida, US, hunched in the corner of a room whilst a man delivers punches and kicks to his head and body.

The assailant is alleged to be 18-year-old Andrew Wheeler. The footage, which was reportedly filmed on August 10, has sparked outrage.

Local news station WPTV reports that “the victim told detectives he was invited to a party on SW 9th Street in Okeechobee last Friday where he drank alcohol and was then told to go outside and fight someone”.

The teen said when he refused 18-year-old Andrew Wheeler was called and began beating the teen. The report then claims that Wheeler followed him outside, choked him until he lost consciousness and struck him in the face.

Police later found the victim in the street and transported him to hospital. A doctor said the victim suffered a “sprained neck, facial and scalp contusions and a concussion.”

The sickening footage soon spawned the hashtag #JusticeForAaron on Twitter.

The #JusticeForAaron Facebook page now has more than 36,000 members, who are reportedly organising rallies and demonstrations in support of Aaron Hill

Wheeler has since been arrested in connection with the case. As has Evadean Lydecker, the mother of the party’s organiser, who was arrested for “contributing to delinquency of a minor/holding an open house party.”

Okeechobee City Police Chief Denny Davis told WPTV that they arrested Wheeler within 24 hours of the video going live.

“I think the video is disgusting. It is just as upsetting to myself and my officers as it is to anyone else that viewed it. Absolutely no way would we ever attempt to cover up anything like that. So it’s very disturbing,” he said.

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