Wayne Treacy Charged with Attempted Murder in 'Text Rage' Beating that Left Josie Ratley in a Coma

'Text Rage' Leads to Alleged Brutal Teen Beating
Florida Ninth Grader Charged With Attempted Murder After Text Message Argument Turned Physical


http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/TheLaw/text-rage-leads-alleged-brutal-teen-beating/story?id=10148892

The only contact 15-year-old Wayne Treacy had ever had with 8th grader Josie Lou Ratley before allegedly beating her nearly to death Wednesday was a brief flurry of text messages earlier that day, Florida police say.

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti told ABC News that eyewitnesses report Treacy didn't utter a word as he kicked the 15-year-old girl repeatedly with his steel-toed boots, "in the head, soccer style," until a teacher eventually pried him off.

"I think this is probably the first case of 'text rage' we've ever seen. We've had road rage before, but never text rage," said Lamberti.

Ratley was hospitalized with severe head injuries, and Treacy, who confessed the beating to police, has been charged with premeditated attempted murder. A hearing in Fort Lauderdale today will determine whether or not to try Treacy as an adult.

How absolutely horrible!

Deerfield girl savagely beating at school
Posted: Mar 19, 2010 9:30 AM EDT

DEERFIELD BEACH, FL (WFLX) - Police arrested a second teen in the brutal beating of a middle school student outside of her school.

Investigators said a "texting war" between two teens sparked the vicious assault.

A 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy have been charged.

Attorney Betsy Benson confirmed Thursday that her client, 15-year-old, Wayne Treacy, was being held after a judge determined there was probable cause to hold him on a charge of attempted murder. Treacy's next court date is March 26.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says Josie Lou Ratley was in critical condition.

Authorities say Treacy, who attends a nearby high school, came looking for her at Deerfield Beach Middle School Wednesday. He had been texting with a friend through Ratley's cell phone. The friend allegedly said something Treacy didn't like. He rode his bike five miles to the school to find her.

Authorities say Treacy punched the girl repeatedly, knocked her to the ground, kicked her and stomped on her face with steal toe boots. Ratley lost consciousness and could not defend herself. A teacher had to pull him away from her.

Josie's family launched a Facebook page for her.

http://www.wflx.com/Global/story.asp?S=12169721

That is totally disgusting. They need to lock that thug up and throw away the key. Does anybody think I need anger management given the fact that reading this story makes me want to put on a pair of steel toe boots and kick the hell out of Treacy?

No...J4A...I know exactly how you feel. Some days, while reading & adding to the site, I have to just take a break, play a game, listen to some music...ANYTHING but more reading. Today was/is...one of those days. I think Stricklands decision did me in, until I read this story. How horrible to just kick a girl to (almost) death! WTF is happening in our world? What's wrong with these kids? I just don't get it.

I don't get it either, Fysty. It seems that the C gene for caring and compassion is disappearing from far too many kids today.

Deerfield Beach Middle School student in coma after beating

By Rafael A. Olmeda
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Updated: 9:29 p.m. Friday, March 19, 2010

Josie Ratley	Wayne Treacy

DEERFIELD BEACH — As Josie Lou Ratley remained in a medically-induced coma Friday, stunned family members struggled to understand why someone she barely knew could become angry enough to allegedly try to beat her to death.

"She's not with us," said Ratley's aunt, Linda Sarmiento, describing the 15-year-old Ratley's condition at Broward General Medical Center. "She can't respond to us. She's in a coma."

Ratley was taken to the hospital Wednesday after Wayne Treacy, 15, a student at Deerfield Beach High School, attacked her at a Deerfield Beach Middle School campus bus stop, according to prosecutors. Treacy, accused of beating Ratley with his fists and stomping on her head repeatedly while wearing steel-toed boots, is in a juvenile detention center facing an attempted murder charge.

Ratley's mother, Hilda Gotay Ratley, scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon with the girl's aunt, the family's lawyer and doctors to discuss Ratley's condition. But she couldn't bear to leave her daughter's hospital room when the time came, the lawyer said.

"My baby should be home with me right now," she said through the lawyer, Rick Freedman. "Instead she is fighting for her life in a hospital bed."

Freedman and Emergency Room Pediatrician Mayra Dominguez described how doctors had to remove a part of Ratley's skull to allow her brain's swelling to go down. Dominguez said it's too soon to tell whether Ratley will suffer permanent brain damage and repeatedly declined to offer a prognosis.

Sarmiento said Ratley had recently moved from Crystal River and she didn't have a lot of friends. She is a gifted artist, although she has a slight learning disability, Sarmiento said, describing Ratley as a kind and protective girl who sometimes scolded family members for saying or doing "the wrong thing."

Because they haven't been able to speak to Ratley, family members can't confirm or explain news accounts about what led to the beating, Sarmiento said. According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, Ratley's cell phone was used by a 13-year-old friend to send text messages to Treacy, with whom the friend had a relationship.

But Ratley sent messages of her own to Treacy, expressing her disapproval of the relationship and making a "disparaging" reference to the October suicide of Treacy's brother, said Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti.

That remark incensed Treacy, who deliberately put on steel-toed boots, texted friends that he was going to kill Ratley, and rode his bicycle three miles from his home to Deerfield Middle to find Rately, the Sheriff's Office said. When he got to the campus, the 13-year-old friend pointed out Ratley, knowing Treacy intended to harm her, the Sheriff's Office said.

The friend was arrested Thursday on a count of accessory to attempted murder and was ordered held for 21 days in juvenile detention while prosecutors review the case. Her lawyer, Jonathon Marne, said the girl and Ratley were "best friends," and that her family wished Ratley a speedy recovery.

"It's news to us," Ratley's aunt said of the friendship. She knew nothing of the text messages other than what she read in media accounts, said it seemed out of character for Ratley to say something bad about someone else's suicide.

But Sarmiento did show some sympathy for Treacy's family, conceding that she thought of Treacy as a monster until she saw a television news account that pictured him and his weeping mother Thursday.

"Last night I felt sorry for him," she said. "I know his parents must be devastated themselves."

Freedman, speaking for Ratley's mother, urged South Florida families to use this incident as a "teachable moment" to discuss teen violence and prevention.

"Please say a prayer for Josie," he said. "And please have an age-appropriate discussion with your children about what happened to Josie. Speak to your children tonight. Communicate with them."

Ratley's family does not have health insurance, Freedman said. A directed trust account has been established at the Wachovia Bank in care of the Law Office of Gordon and Doner to benefit Josie Lou Ratley. Checks to the Josie Lou Ratley Fund can be dropped off at any Wachovia office or mailed to the Wachovia branch at 2989 PGA Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, Fl, 33410.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/deerfield-beach-middle-school-student-in-coma-after-396977.html?

Whatever happened to teaching boys that you just don't hit (etc.) girls?

My God, that poor girl. I just saw her aunt on TV. I hope Josie pulls through this. My prayers are with Josie and her family.

I hope that Josie fully recovers from this savage attack.
The thug intended to inflict severe harm to Josie, and even deliberately put on steel-toed boots before going to find her. There should be additional charges filed against him. This was a planned attack, and he sent text messages to his friends saying he was going to kill this girl. If Josie dies, he should be convicted as an adult and sent to jail for life.

Amen Cali....he intended to kill her.