A Florida firefighter is behind bars after, police say, he chased down a group of teens and attacked them with a baseball bat because they rang his doorbell and took off.
Surveillance video, shared by Lighthouse Point Police, shows 31-year-old Alex Lutz swinging the bat over his head as he tears into the group of teens on a golf cart with a profanity-laced tirade on Nov. 23 on Northeast 45th Street.
According to police, Lutz ultimately hit the rear passenger with the bat.
The video captures the victim yelling in pain and pleading for him to stop.
Detectives say the teen had a visible injury to his leg from the attack and that one of the victims was just 15 years old.
Residents in the neighborhood initially called 911 about teens doing ding-dong ditching at their homes, but while police were on the way, they received more calls about the teens being hit by a man with a baseball bat.
Lutz is a firefighter-paramedic with the Highland Beach Fire Rescue. He was booked into jail on Monday and faced a judge on Tuesday.
He faces several charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, and criminal mischief.
The Highland Beach Fire Chief said the department was surprised to learn of the situation, and the behavior displayed by Lutz does not reflect the values, professionalism, and expectations of the Highland Beach Fire Rescue Department or the town.
Lutz has since been placed on paid administrative leave.
Since his Tuesday court appearance, he has bonded out of jail.
7News passed by his home for a comment on Wednesday, but no one came to the door.