Two Men Charged With Aggravated Battery After Video Shows Beating at Tiger Bay State Forest Bonfire

Two men have been arrested and charged with aggravated battery in a beating at a bonfire party in Tiger Bay State Forest that was captured on video, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said. Cody Stripling, 18, and Sebastian Bowers, 19, were taken into custody Saturday, Oct. 31, and are accused of punching and kicking a man at the gathering in the state forest west of Daytona Beach. Detectives say they are still trying to identify and speak with others who were there, including the person who filmed the attack.

What deputies say happened

According to reports from WKMG News 6, Fox 35 and WFTV based on the Sheriff's Office account, the beating happened at a late-night bonfire party in Tiger Bay State Forest in late October. Fox 35 reported that the video shows the attack in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, while other outlets described the party as taking place the previous weekend. The Sheriff's Office has not released a detailed public timeline beyond its social media post announcing the arrests.

The video released by the agency shows two people beating and kicking the man, who does not appear to fight back, according to Fox 35. An arrest affidavit cited by the station says the victim reported being put in a chokehold during the attack.

The man had been brought to the party by an acquaintance who left to drive other partygoers home, Fox 35 reported, citing Sheriff Mike Chitwood. When that acquaintance returned, he found the victim being choked and pulled the attackers off him.

What led to the attack has not been released. The Sheriff's Office described the video as disturbing in a Facebook post announcing the arrests, and Chitwood called it "a beatdown of a physically handicapped man at a bonfire party last weekend," according to Fox 35. Neither the Sheriff's Office nor the news reports have said how many people attended the party.

The victim

The Sheriff's Office has not publicly identified the victim, and accounts of him differ. Fox 35 reported that Chitwood described the man as physically and mentally handicapped and said he suffered numerous injuries. WFTV described the victim only as another teen. The extent of his injuries and his current condition have not been made public.

The investigation began when the victim himself contacted the Sheriff's Office to report the attack, according to Fox 35, which led detectives to the video and to the two arrests.

The arrests and charges

Stripling and Bowers were each arrested on a charge of aggravated battery along with other charges that the Sheriff's Office has not specified in public reports, according to WKMG. Their hometowns, bond amounts and jail status were not included in the initial reports.

Although some headlines describe the two as teens, both are adults under Florida law, and the Sheriff's Office released their names and ages with the arrest announcement.

Under Florida law, aggravated battery is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charge applies when a person intentionally or knowingly causes great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement, or uses a deadly weapon, during a battery. Prosecutors with the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, which covers Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, will review the Sheriff's Office case and decide what formal charges to file. Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Investigation still open

Detectives say the case is not finished. They want to talk with others who attended the bonfire and may have been involved, including whoever recorded the video, according to WKMG and WFTV. The Sheriff's Office has not said whether more arrests are expected, or whether the person who recorded the video or anyone who watched the attack without stepping in could face charges. No attorney for either man had been identified in public reports as of Monday.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Volusia Sheriff's Office at 386-248-1777 or email Detective Meeks at LMeeks@volusiasheriff.gov, according to the agency's request as published by WKMG.

About Tiger Bay State Forest

Tiger Bay State Forest covers roughly 27,000 acres between Daytona Beach and DeLand, extending north and south of U.S. 92, and is managed by the Florida Forest Service. The land doubles as the Tiger Bay Wildlife Management Area for hunting, and visitors can camp at sites such as Bennett Field Campground, which has designated fire rings. The forest sits about seven miles west of Daytona Beach.

The forest is more often in the news for wildfire. A March 2023 blaze burned more than 1,800 acres and forced officials to close the forest to visitors, and a 1998 fire burned about 15,000 acres there.

A familiar pattern in Volusia

The case echoes an earlier Volusia County bonfire attack. In January 2025, a bonfire that started in Deltona escalated into what the sheriff called a mob beating in DeLeon Springs, and 10 people between the ages of 16 and 20 faced charges, according to Fox 35. CBS12 reported at the time that four people were injured and that seven of the 10 had been arrested. In both cases, the Sheriff's Office relied in part on video recorded by people at the scene and released footage publicly as it announced arrests.

Chitwood's office regularly posts videos of violent incidents on its social media accounts to help identify suspects and witnesses, and the Tiger Bay video was released the same way.

What's next

Under Florida's rules of criminal procedure, people who are arrested go before a judge for a first appearance within 24 hours, where a judge reviews probable cause and sets bond and release conditions. Court dates for Stripling and Bowers had not been reported as of Monday. The next step is the State Attorney's Office's formal charging decision, which can add, reduce or drop counts from those listed at arrest. Detectives are continuing to look for other people who were at the bonfire and the person who filmed the beating, and more details may be released as the investigation continues.