Robert Marcu : Father Chokes 10-Year-Old in Fight – Alleged Incident Sparks Outrage

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (WFOR) – Authorities in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, are expressing alarm over a disturbing incident caught on cellphone video on Memorial Day. The footage shows a 10-year-old boy being violently choked and shaken by a 60-year-old man in Gwen Margolis Park.

The suspect, identified as Robert Marcu, has been charged with aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm and battery by strangulation. The video of the incident captures Marcu grabbing the young boy by the neck and shaking him, causing his head to bob back and forth. To protect the child’s identity, his face has been blurred in the video.

Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Melissa Porro expressed grave concern over the incident, highlighting the disparity in strength between the man and the young victim. She stated, “The biggest concern here is that a grown man with the strength of a man went after a young child that was helpless and could not, based on size alone, defend himself.”

According to the police report, the 10-year-old victim and another child, believed to be Marcu’s son, were engaged in a playful water gun fight when a scuffle broke out. Marcu intervened, leading to the violent altercation captured in the video.

Porro described the distressing scene, saying, “It was at this time that that individual approached one of the children involved in that little child’s play fight … and began to violently choke this child, pretty much scare this child to the point that he was crying hysterically and very upset.”

The arrest report details how Marcu grabbed the victim by the neck, obstructing his breathing and shaking him while maintaining a firm grip on his neck. Marcu reportedly admitted his actions, stating, “I know what I did, and I did it to teach him a lesson.”

Following the incident, the victim sustained red marks and scratches but was fortunately physically unharmed. Marcu made a court appearance on Tuesday, where his bond was set at $5,000, and he was ordered to stay away from the victim.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that both children involved in the altercation attend the same school, adding another layer of complexity to the case.