A Leesburg teen has been arrested on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and strong-arm robbery after reportedly beating a boy unconscious and leaving him naked in a wooded lot.
Matthew Kirby, 16, was arrested around 1 a.m. Tuesday after Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to a missing child report from the victim’s parents and found the boy naked and badly bruised on Huggins Street near Kirby’s home.
The 14-year-old victim had been riding his bicycle in the neighborhood when Kirby attacked him, choking him until he lost consciousness and then dragging him to a nearby wooded lot. When the boy awoke, Kirby asked him why he wouldn’t die and beat him unconscious again by punching him with both fists and kicking him all over his body, according to the arrest report. He then stripped off the boy’s clothes and took them along with his bicycle and cell phone, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The victim later awoke and walked back to Huggins Street where he was found by law enforcement.
Deputies identified Kirby based on a description the victim provided before being transported to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition and recovering.
When questioned, Kirby acknowledged attacking the boy and told police that his goal was “to kill him.” He claimed the attack started when the victim said something about his sister. Kirby showed no remorse and even stated that he laughed at the boy while beating him, the arrest report said.
“It’s incredibly shocking and senseless,” said Lt. John Herrell, a spokesman for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s just very disheartening for this young victim to have suffered the way he did for no apparent reason.”
