Homestead Official Busted for Senior Smackdown

A Homestead city board member is accused of beating two elderly neighbors during a raucus brawl, according to police.

Eric Geen, a member of the city's Palnning and Zoning board, was charged with two counts of burglary and battery of two people over the age of 65 after he allegedly attacked his two neighbors in June.

Geen, 57, still serves on the board, though he is out on $20,000 bond and on monitored release, required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet.

Geen, who has served on the board for two years, said he is innocent.

"Number one, the case against me is still in the hands of the judicial system, and it has not been adjudicated, so I'm innocent until proven guilty, if I remember correctly," Geen told the South Florida Times.

According to the police report, Geen got into an argument with neighbors Victoria and Cesar Rojas on the evening of June 29, after an incident in which Geen's car was blocking the Rojas' driveway.

According to the Rojas', Geen, smelling of booze and yelling obscenities, pushed his way into their house, then began choking and banging Mr. Rojas' head against the ground. 

Another neighbor was reportedly forced to use a small baseball bat on Geen to get him off Rojas. When police responded, they claim Geen was combative and had to be handcuffed.

Geen said the case has no bearing on his work for the board.

"There is no one in the city administration who has contacted me about this, and they all know about the June 29 thing," Geen told the Times. "I am not under investigation and I am not being asked to resign from the city of Homestead Planning and Zoning board."

No trial date has been set, and Geen said he doesn't expect one.

"I'm fully confident it's going to be thrown out," he said.

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