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A riot broke out at a Florida skate rink after the venue called off what was supposed to be a child’s birthday party. Now, the rink owner is speaking out and is set to discuss the incident with law enforcement.
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Chris Manganias, owner of Astro Skating Center in Hillsborough County, explained on “Fox & Friends First” that the event was booked as a child’s party from 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., but a manager saw the clients were advertising the event online as a teen dance party.
Manganias said the clients violated their contract by advertising the event without approval and failing to hire an off-deputy officer for security, which the rink requires for teen events.
He then decided to cancel the event entirely.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a large brawl at the Astro Skate roller skating rink in Brandon, Florida on Saturday, May 18, 2024, leading to the arrests of 23 juveniles and six adults.
FLORIDA MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER AT 19 RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL, CALLING FOR MORE POLICE AND YOUTH RESOURCES
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“So we exercised our option, called [the client] on Friday, gave her her money back,” he explained.
“She screamed and cussed, carried on, called us all sorts of filthy names. And then on Saturday started posting on social media platforms to ‘go to the skating rink and give the police and the skating rink a hard time.’ And that’s what they did.”
Police say as many as 400 people showed up, and the situation escalated to a massive brawl.
“It’s a different world, man. You’ve got 12, 13, 14-year-old kids cussing, screaming, threatening the police. And then the mamas come and say that, ‘Oh they’re just children.’ And I’ve been dealing with children my whole life. What you see on that camera? Those are not children.”
Footage provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows dozens of people fist fighting, breaking through windows, and shocking violence.
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Manganias said a crowd gathered outside the rink after being denied entry, but when efforts were made to disperse the large group, violence broke out.
Police ultimately arrested 23 juveniles and six adults.
“The climate has changed dramatically with the teenagers,” he said, adding that many rinks don’t host events on Friday or Saturday nights at all.
FLORIDA MAN ON THE RUN FROM POLICE FOR 2 MONTHS FOUND HIDING IN CLOTHES DRYER: ‘TUMBLE-READY’
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested six adults for trespassing and other charges after a brawl broke out at Astro Skate in Brandon, Florida on May 18, 2024. Pictured top left to right: Lekera Evans, Yazelynn Ramos, Malik Carter. Bottom left to right: Jadyn Sebro, Aliyah Alfonso, Fareed Carter(Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
“When the crowd smells like marijuana, when there’s nothing but profanity, all sorts of those words that we’re not allowed to use – that’s my call. And I said, ‘look, we’re done. We’re not going to let any more people in.’”
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“They dispersed, but then they went up and down the block attacking people and destroying people’s businesses. So this is the climate right now with that element.”
Manganias said security was on-site when the violence broke out, as his rinks always employ off-duty officers, but the crowd didn’t seem to care.
“If you look at these videos of these people fighting up and down the street, none of them have roller skates in their hands. None of them have skates on their feet. They came to fight. That’s what they do,” he said.
Texas A&M (49-13) has reached the College World Series for the second time in three seasons under head coach Jim Schlossnagle. On Saturday night, the Aggies will face a feisty Florida Gators (34-28) team. Both programs last met during the start of SEC play in early mid-March.
As the game’s 6:06 p.m. start time approached, the weather in Omaha, Nebraska, took a turn, adding an element of unpredictability to the new start time, leading to the field being covered with a tarp. With no new start time confirmed, the game could potentially resume as late as 11:00 p.m., heightening the anticipation for the fans.
Here is the new broadcast information. We will update you on any changes, including the new starting time.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.
If all goes right for the Florida Panthers on Saturday night in Game 4 against the Edmonton Oilers, we could be. It would be the first time the Final ended in four games since 1998, when the Detroit Red Wings dusted the Washington Capitals. Here’s a fun fact: Oilers general manager Ken Holland was the Red Wings GM that year, and it was the second of back-to-back sweeps in the Cup final for Detroit.
If you can believe it, the Red Wings’ 1998 championship was also the fourth straight NHL season that ended through a sweep in the final round.
For the sake of the sport — if the Panthers win — let’s hope this doesn’t start another streak of Cup Final sweeps.
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Through three games, the Panthers have stifled the Oilers’ best players and have gotten incredible goaltending to get themselves within one win of a Stanley Cup while holding a 3-0 series stranglehold. The Panthers had only won one game in their Stanley Cup Final history entering this series (they were swept in 1996 and were beaten in five games last year versus Vegas).
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Buy tickets to see your favorite team on StubHub.
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Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers — Game 4
How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on ABC, SN
Panthers lead series 3-0
Series odds: Panthers -3000, Oilers +1300
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard are all atop the NHL points leaderboard this postseason. Through three games, they’ve combined for four points. Neither of the three nor Zach Hyman, who leads all goalscorers with 14 this spring, have scored a goal in this series.
Warren Foegele’s breakaway goal in Game 2 was significant for the Oilers: the first goal scored by an Oilers forward in the series. Ryan McLeod is now the second Oiler forward to score in this year’s Cup Final.
Patrick Roy still has the highest save percentage ever recorded in one Stanley Cup Final at .974, following a scintillating performance for the Colorado Avalanche against Florida in 1996. How’s Sergei Bobrovsky’s save percentage through three Cup Final games? .953. It’s a rate that ties him with New York Islanders legend Billy Smith for seventh-best among goalies in NHL history.
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has gone cold recently. He scored his first point of the series in Game 3. He’s gone scoreless in his last eight games and hasn’t scored since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. Contrast that to his fellow former Calgary Flame teammate Sam Bennett who is on a six-game points streak (four goals, seven points).
Expert picks for Panthers at Oilers
Picks standings
(Photo of Connor McDavid and Sergei Bobrovsky: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Tennessee vs. Florida State: 2024 Men’s College World Series | Extended highlights
June 14, 2024
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Tennessee scored four runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat Florida State in walk-off fashion in Game 2 of bracket play in the 2024 NCAA Men’s College World Series. Watch the extended highlights here.
