A day on the beach turned into a scene of chaos Wednesday when a man allegedly went on a rampage with a power tool and a beach umbrella in Surfside, Florida.
Yacov Levi, 50, of Miami-Dade, now faces multiple charges after witnesses say he threatened beachgoers behind a Collins Avenue condominium complex.
The trouble reportedly began when Levi asked to use a beach chair. According to an arrest affidavit, when he was told he couldn’t sit there because he was not a resident, he “became irate.”
Police say Levi first grabbed a beach umbrella and attempted to strike someone with it. The situation escalated rapidly when Levi allegedly brandished a power drill and began charging at people.
One man managed to flee as Levi allegedly screamed, “I’m going to kill you.”
Multiple witnesses described the sight of Levi running across the sand with the tool, according to Local 10. When Surfside Police arrived on the scene, they found Levi sitting in a beach chair, holding a drill equipped with a large sand-digging bit several feet long.
READ: Life Sentences Loom For Tampa Felon After Brutal Online Meet-Up Turned Violent
Body camera footage shows officers drawing their Tasers and ordering Levi to the ground. Before he was taken into custody, authorities say Levi used the drill to damage a beach chair, resulting in approximately $500 in property damage.
He reportedly struggled with officers during the encounter, leading to a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Levi appeared in Miami-Dade County court on Friday to face felony charges of attempted aggravated battery and battery on a law enforcement officer, along with a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.
This is not his first encounter with local authorities; records show Levi was arrested in 2023 for allegedly attempting to steal a jet ski while naked, though that case was eventually dropped. He remains in custody following his latest court appearance.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
