On Sunday, 59-year-old George Bardmesser was campaigning at El Tropico Cuban Cuisine in Sunny Isles when a verbal altercation allegedly descended into him attacking two teenagers — putting one in a chokehold and striking another in the face, according to police.
"Before there was an issue with the other party coming in and, you know, 'You can’t be here, you gotta get out,'" restaurant owner Pedro Vera told WSVN. "Next thing you know, he’s grabbing one of the kids by the neck and then punching another one."
While it remains unclear what instigated the incident, the two teens were reportedly at the event with Sunny Isles commissioner Fabiola Stuyvesant.
Stuyvesant has not responded to New Times' request for comment.
Bardmesser, a Russian-American attorney and author, promoted the event on his Instagram as a "Republican Coffee Meet Up." He wrote that he was "excited to meet and talk with voters about the future of our city."
According to police, Bardmesser was sitting at a table in the restaurant when he got into a verbal altercation with political opponents sitting at a table adjacent to him. As the argument grew more heated, surveillance video allegedly captured Bardmesser shoving around the teenagers.
Following the incident, police arrived to the restaurant and arrested Bardmesser on two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm.
He appeared in court on Monday, where a judge set his bond at $5,000.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
