A 20-year-old man was arrested after he assaulted and tried to rob a 58-year-old ice cream man, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The assailant, Eric Grimaldo, walked up to his victim at about 8 p.m. on 5800 block of Fifth Street East, and demanded that he hand over the money that the ice cream man kept in his shirt pocket. Authorities say the ice cream vendor was working when the suspect approached and made his demands. The vendor refused, and Grimaldo subsequently attacked the man. His victim fought back, despite Grimaldo’s repeated punches to the head (as many as four times), and held onto his cash. Grimaldo eventually released him and fled the scene, leaving the ice cream man with minor cuts and bruises. The would-be robber failed to get any of the ice cream man’s money, or any ice cream either.
Grimaldo, of 20th Avenue West, 500 block, was arrested shortly afterward, at a home in the area, and is now being held in jail on charges of assault and attempted robbery. His bond is set at $100,000. Grimaldo denied the charges when police arrived at the local home but was arrested on felony charges anyway.
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