DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach Police Department is asking for help identifying a man they say punched a 22-year-old man, leaving him blind and brain damaged.
- Derrick Tibado, 22, punched by unknown man in January
- Tibado lost his vision, has brain damage, family says
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The altercation, captured by surveillance video, happened on January 26 around 3:20 a.m. outside the Coyote Ugly Bar on Seabreeze Boulevard in Daytona Beach.
By the time police got there, the suspect was long gone.
While watching the surveillance video, police say they saw the victim, Derrick Tibado, raising his arms in an aggressive manner. They then saw an unknown male walking across Seabreeze and standing directly in front of Tibado, eventually punching Tibado.
His family wants answers.
"This man had to sucker punch him, I just don't understand why," said Tibado’s sister-in-law.
According to his family, even two months later, Tibado has not recovered. He suffered a brain hemorrhage and a broken jaw, on top of losing his vision.
“He has no short term memory. He can’t see, he’s blind, he can't walk on his own," his sister-in-law said.
The Tibados hope the person that did this to Derrick comes forward and takes responsibility for what happened.
"If you did this, mistakes happen, you know, you get a little bit of alcohol in you. You don’t know how to swallow your pride," said Tibado's sister-in-law. "We just kind of want answers on why this happened. It will make us feel a little better. It won’t fix Derrick, and that ultimately is what we want, but it will give us peace of mind."
The suspect was last seen entering a dark-colored vehicle. He was wearing blue jeans, a red jacket, and a red hat. Daytona Beach Police are hoping that someone might recall the incident or the general clothing.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Daytona Beach Police Department at 386-671-5101.
