Two retired golfers were arrested for repeatedly hitting a teenage boy with a ball finder after he and his friends sounded air horns during their ninth hole tee off, according to Okaloosa County deputies.
Donald Nieto and Ronald Richardson, both 71, were arrested last week and face a charge of child cruelty without great harm, according to an arrest report. The pair has since been released from jail.
Nieto and Richardson told Okaloosa County deputies that the 14-year-old boy and his friends were blowing air horns at the golfers at Shalimar Pointe Country Club.
The pair said they approached the kids at a fence, but they ran away. The golfers admitted to hitting the boy who ran back to the fence to get his jacket, the report said.
The boy's father reported the incident to police. The golfers were identified by the club manager while still at the course.
Richardson told deputies that he hit the boy three or four times on his back, but did not feel threatened by the boy, the report said.
A video of the event was filmed by one of the boy's friends and posted on YouTube. It was confirmed by a sheriff's office official as being authentic.
