A Tybee Island, Georgia man allegedly chased a group of teenagers and allegedly choked one of them Sunday after they knocked on his house’s front door as part of a “Ding Dong Ditch” game.
Police arrested and charged William Cole on Monday with two counts of Aggravated Assault and Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, according to WSAV.
Cole was reportedly upset when the teenagers rung his doorbell. The 49-year-old suspect allegedly ran after the teenagers as they fled his residence, continuing the chase in his car, WSAV reported. (RELATED: Teen Driving Without License Detained After Killing Two Men, Dog)
Tybee man arrested following weekend incident https://t.co/Lk892uQKNI
— Frank Sulkowski WJCL (@TheBigGuyWJCL) August 28, 2023
Cole exited his vehicle to chase the teenagers on foot after his alleged attempts to hit them with the vehicle failed, the Tybee Island Police Department (TIPD) said. He allegedly caught one teenager and allegedly choked him until he was stopped by a witness, WSAV noted.
Cole left the scene before police arrived, per WSAV-TV.
In a similar incident, a North Dakota man reportedly murdered a teenager in Aug. 2022 after deliberately running over him with his car because he thought he was a Republican. In New Orleans, police arrested a man after the suspect allegedly shot and pistol whipped three teenagers who allegedly stole his wife’s car.
In another instance in April, the roles were reversed. A 16-year-old from Minnesota allegedly stole a vehicle and allegedly used it to allegedly run over and kill a 70-year-old man.