(Headline USA) A canvasser rallying voters on behalf of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was savagely beaten by a group of men who allegedly told him Republicans weren’t “allowed” in their neighborhood, according to the senator’s team.
The canvasser was wearing a T-shirt bearing Rubio’s name and a Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis hat when he was assaulted, leaving him with a broken jaw and internal bleeding, according to Rubio.
“Last night one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a Desantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren’t allowed in their neighborhood in #Hialeah #Florida,” Rubio wrote in a tweet. “He suffered internal bleeding, a broken jaw & will need facial reconstructive surgery.”
In photos provided by Rubio, the young man can be seen in the ambulance with blood running down his face and a swollen jaw.
Last night one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a Desantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren’t allowed in their neighborhood in #Hialeah #Florida
He suffered internal bleeding, a broken jaw & will need facial reconstructive surgery pic.twitter.com/36QpbySg58
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 24, 2022
“I can tell you this: political violence should not be tolerated by anyone. Our side or their side, we don’t tolerate political violence. In this country, we decide who governs not by street mobs, we decide who governs at the ballot box,” Rubio added.
Police arrested a suspect on Monday: 25-year-old Javier Jesus Lopez, who is being accused of aggravated battery and causing great bodily harm, according to the Miami Herald.
It is not clear whether there were other men with Lopez at the time of the attack, as Rubio claimed.
The police report reveals the canvasser was walking near 140 East 60th St. around 6:50 p.m. when Lopez tried to block his path. The victim tried to cross the street to avoid him, but Lopez followed.
“You can’t pass by here, this is my neighborhood,” Lopez allegedly told the victim, according to police.
The two men then began to argue and Lopez grabbed the victim and repeatedly slammed him against the ground. A second man then joined in and kicked the victim’s face while Lopez punched him repeatedly.
