Deerfield Beach Middle School Has ANOTHER Brutal Beating: Girl Stomped On With Steel-Toed Boots (VIDEO)

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (Associated Press) - The brutal beating of a 15-year-old girl at a Florida middle school was triggered by a text message dispute between the victim and the teenage boy accused of punching and stomping on her with steel-toed boots, authorities said Thursday.

The 15-year-old suspect was ordered held at a juvenile detention center while prosecutors determine whether to charge him as an adult. He was arrested after the attack Wednesday on a charge of premeditated attempted murder. His next court date is March 26.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said Josie Lou Ratley was in critical condition a day after the attack.

The sheriff's office also said a 13-year-old girl was arrested Thursday as an accessory to the brutal beating.

Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said the 13-year-old girl pointed out the victim to the boy when he arrived at Deerfield Beach Middle School. Lamberti said the male suspect and the victim didn't know each other well.

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The girl "knew he was going to do this, did nothing to stop him, and in fact, directed him to Josie, the victim, and pointed her out," Lamberti said.

The male suspect and the 13-year-old girl were in a relationship, and she had been using other people's phones to send him text messages because she didn't have one of her own, Lamberti said. The suspect had sent a message to Ratley's phone to get in touch with the other girl.

Lamberti said that the victim objected to the boy's relationship with the 13-year-old and said so during an exchange of text messages with him.

"Those messages went back and forth and one of the messages was a comment regarding the suicide of his brother, that's apparently what set him off," Lamberti said.

Authorities said the boy then rode his bicycle to the middle school and got the 13-year-old to help him find Ratley.

A teacher pulled the male suspect off the girl, who was airlifted to a hospital.

Defense attorney Betsy Benson, who's representing the male suspect, said the brother's suicide played a role in the incident.

"I think that what we are going to find out is that the impact of this had a lot to do with this situation," she said.

Students from the same middle school were also involved in an attack last year in which a teenage boy, Michael Brewer, was set on fire.

"It seems like with this youth violence happening, it seems like we have a culture of callousness going on with kids. We really have to get to the bottom of it." Lamberti said.

Comments

[Garilia]

12:25 PM on 04/28/2010

In a further update, the victim is being released from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility. She can't talk, she can't walk, she can't use her right arm and fingers.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/deerfield/fl-ratley-leaves-hospital-20100427,0,7453900.story

[Brandi Jones]

07:53 PM on 04/20/2010

WOW! No one is holding the little girl accountable, only the boy. Her parents should have taught her better. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I have a realitive who had a child and the baby only lived few hours, the baby was full term and the death was unexpected. Someone who had an issue with her on something else, decided the day after the funeral to prank call several times a day for about a week saying Im glad your baby died and she played the voice of a crying infant. She got her @$$ whipped and she SHOULD HAVE. The young lady got a slap on the wrist the judge was very leniant, the girl was 18. I'm sorry, I totally agree that he should be punished, however, he shouldnt betried as an adult. The young lady shouldnt have been beaten so bad. I wish I was the judge he should get 6 months then community service and he owes here restitution, but beyond that the punishment is excessive. He should have thought about what he did and she should have too. I am fed up with bratty young females who want sympathy after they push someone over the edge.

[connie79]

12:51 PM on 05/21/2010

I agree with you brandi she should have never said anything about the boys brother because he was obviously emotionaly unstable after finding his brother had commited suicide but children especially teenagers belive thier invinsible that nothing bad will happen to them so they text mean and hateful things to one another annd think nothing will come of it unfortunatly for this little girl she came across a very unstable,angry.sad and mentally not in his right mind at the time. I hope she makes a full recovery and pray this boy does'nt get put in prison for the rest of his life. He needs help and prison does'nt help anyone besides child molesters and killers he is just a child who lost his way after losing his brother. Please dont misunderstand me he should never have taken it so to that level but he deserves a chance to get psycological help and be sent to a hospital so they can help him understand and figure out why and how this happend so it wont ever happen again!!!! Again i pray this beautiful young girl makes a full recovery and lives a happy and productive life but i also wish that for him.

[MysAngel]

01:38 PM on 04/20/2010

First of all, what is a 15 year old doing in middle school? Second, why did this teacher not interfere before this child was near death? Third, why are parents not pulling their children from this school where compassion is clearly not valued or taught? The 15 year old attacker/criminal and his pathetic girlfriend are clearly missing a lesson in life, which most children receive from proper parenting. His parents can make all the excuses they wish, but they failed in some manner. I hope he is tried as an adult and has a long time in prison to think about the fact he ended this innocent girl's life as she knew it. I don't even care what she said; it's irrelevant to his attempted murder. Shame on everyone involved. Shame further on those who permitted it to happen but could have done something to intervene (i.e., the "girlfriend" and anyone else who knew or watched). I would tell her get your own damn phone honey, but if there is any justice, she won't be permitted a phone for a good many years in lock up. In sum: UGH.

[sexii123]

10:54 PM on 04/23/2010

Ok i go to deerfeild beach middle and the reason why my teacher didnt get there in time is because he was all the way by the portables far from the bus loop. But he ran as fast as he could and at least he did help her! There were security and every one else there but they didnt do nothing because they didnt want to be involved in it!! But at least our history teacher Walter weslh did somthing he is a hero and every one say's they were there ok so why didnt you help!!!! You just were standing wachin Wayne a 15 yr old beat up a student Josie lou Ratley 14 ) Our school is not bad it's just the chocies that people make that are bad so dont close down the school that we love ! :)

[mnels24]

01:38 AM on 04/20/2010

ok after reading a few of the comments on this beating it is sad that alot of you seem to find blame on others.....look at the reality of it THE KID DID IT and he needs to take accountability for his behaviors that he seems to have no control over which led to really poor actions.....I do however send all my blessings to the little girl who never deserved this beating....any man who lays a hand on a woman no mater what age should be prosecuted and I hope he gets attemptive murder with a deadly weapon (his boots)!!!!!!!!.....in my state the legal age to be tried as an adult is 15 because he knows right from wrong at that age!

[Garilia]

09:44 PM on 04/17/2010

In some good news, the perpetrator is being charged as an adult and the judge gas denied bond.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/17/1584163/judge-denies-bond-for-teen-accused.html

[Mary411]

08:19 AM on 03/25/2010

Our Children are Desensitized , they see violence daily at the Movies , in Video games , on line ... they do not know how to communicate face to face ... the parents of these young ones are the same in that they grew up without basic communication skills taught to them ... gone are the days when Children played out side with other Children ... the Television programs of today are full of Violence like this is normal behavior .... gone are the days of I love Lucy , Gun smoke , Leave it to Beaver ,Cosby Show, Brady Bunch and so on ... these T.V shows emanated Family Values ... Parents can't teach their off spring if they are the same ...
The young man you beat this girl needs to be put in prison although it wont stop others from acting the same , it will get this monster off our streets!

[FredKnowsBest]

11:39 AM on 03/26/2010

"they do not know how to communicate face to face"

Could it be the internet and txt messages are creating a disconnect from reality.

[areyoukiddingme79]

10:36 PM on 04/07/2010

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SCHOOL????? Two brutal beatings??? I would like to know where teachers - adults are at this school!???? Glad I won't be sending me children there.

[LetsGoSteve]

08:45 AM on 04/21/2010

Where are the other children? I remember the days of raging hormones. In or out of school fights would start. Any one in ear shot would gather around creating a circle around the event. As soon as things got out of control other children stepped in and pulled the fighters away from one another. Sort of like a hockey fight, with the juvenile spectators playing the role of the referees. Children have lost this ability with the loss of unorganized neighborhood random contests, be it kick the can, basketball, baseball, football, or pond hockey. Through these activities we self governed and established our own boundaries.

[leajazz]

03:17 PM on 03/24/2010

We need tougher laws aimed at juveniles. They seem to think they will get a slap on the wrist and their juvenile record won't haunt them.

I blaim the parents, they should be held responsible. The problem is juvenile animals don't care if they take their parents down with them.

[waynebollman]

12:44 PM on 03/24/2010

How the heck are you 15-years-old in middle school. Aren't typical middle school ages 11, 12, and 13 with maybe a few 14-year-olds? I guess a few kids get held back.

[Garilia]

01:44 PM on 03/24/2010

15 year olds in middle school is not that uncommon. Some students start late for a variety of reasons relating to health issues, or country of origin. In Florida, most students can be retained up to 2 times in elementary school and then they must be promoted, regardless of whether or not they are on grade level. Now when No Child Left Behind was becoming law and the rhetoric was that no child would get promoted unless they had mastered grade level standards, most people who agreed with that would not like to see a 15 year old in 5th grade, and a 20 year old in 7th grade, but it becomes a hard position to argue with, because after all, we don't want people who can't read or write well being in high school, or attempting to graduate based on social promotion!

[FredKnowsBest]

11:40 AM on 03/26/2010

It's in the "No Progressive left behind law".

[WinterSoldier]

12:24 PM on 03/24/2010

This is slightly OT, but it seems to me that most folks crave the social status of family without the real work of actually raising kids--otherwise television and computer games wouldn't be the primary babysitters.

In an overpopulated world, society still pressures people who don't have the time and money to spend with children to have them anyway, yet those who choose not to have children are treated as social oddballs at best. As Americans, we like to declare that we're the "land of the free," but in reality the only lifestyle that isn't questioned is heterosexual marriage with at least two children, and those children have to be a boy and a girl.

[zenlikejen]

12:42 PM on 03/24/2010

I don't think that was as off topic as you thought and I certainly agree.

Fighting in school isn't new...20 years ago I remember a couple of wild ones - but it seems different now. Where a crowd would gather at the closest park to watch the melee, now has video recordings and deadly weapons typically. It's like a HUGE disconnect between their actions and the consequences...they simply don't care. More and more kids I see seem to roll with this weird sense of entitlement. Not enough parents are as involved as they should be in raising their children and I'm really not sure how we can change that.

[damyanky]

03:24 PM on 03/24/2010

WinterSoldier: Everything you say is true. I know young women who find status in being pregnant and "wear" their baby and then toddler like an ornament. They truly don't know that the way they are handling parenting is an increasing tragedy for the child, therefore they don't ask for the available help. Culture changes; styles are constantly in flux. But one thing that never changes is the needs of a child, whether in the Ozarks or New York City. If those needs are not met, some children react with buried rage and reach their teens ready for violence. Perhaps classes with films showing the progression of emotional growth and the consequences both good and bad of parenting decisions should be part of the curriculum in middle and high schools. Every year. Boys too. Must pass.

[August369]

11:53 AM on 03/24/2010

What? She didn't just get up and went about her business seconds after someone kicked her repeatedly like we see everyday on TV? How weird!

We are in real trouble if we keep not acknowledging that reality is what people see on the tube. I think I am going to go vomit now.

[okayigive]

11:46 AM on 03/24/2010

What happened to this young girl is truly dreaful, especially coming on the heals of another dreadful act of the young man being set on fire.

"It seems like with this youth violence happening, it seems like we have a culture of callousness going on with kids. We really have to get to the bottom of it." Lamberti said.

Well for starter look at adult behavior that our children/youth watch day in and day out when using what should be better coping skills. What a fine example some adults are setting for developing mind. How can you expect a better outcome when even those in leadership show some form of aggression in their mannerisms and words. So sad.

[branchwater1113]

11:34 AM on 03/24/2010

Sounds as if there is some real parental negligence in that household.
The parents failed the one son, then let another become an almost murder.
The State of Fla failed that family and the victim's by not intervening.
The right-wing public that says goverment is the problem and no more taxes failed them all.
There's plent of blame to go around , but I'm afraid we'll see precious little accountability.

[Garilia]

12:33 PM on 03/24/2010

When should the state have intervened? When the father was arrested for the 10th time? The 20th? Apparently the mother had a criminal record, we don't know if that was before she was a parent or during motherhood. Should she have been prevented from reproducing? What should the state have done? Removing them from their biological mother and raising them in the foster care system probably wouldn't have helped this boy. Unless they are keeping some things private, the boy was considered a good boy, a good student, based on what they are releasing.

[Garilia]

10:41 AM on 03/24/2010

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Sheriff-Teen-Suspect-Sent-Apathetic-Text-After-Girl-Beating-88904442.html

Sheriff: Teen Suspect Sent Apathetic Text After Girl Beating
Wayne Treacy took time to text friend in wake of horrific beating
By BRIAN HAMACHER

Broward's top cop said accused text message beating suspect Wayne Treacy had time to coldly text a friend in the moments after he beat 15-year-old Josie Ratley within an inch of her life.

"In fact, he sent another text message to someone saying 'Hey, I think I'm going to prison, I think I just killed someone,' so it just was a matter of fact thing, like oh well, this is what it is," Sheriff Al Lamberti said during an appearance on this morning's "Today Show."

[hackerblaster]

09:43 AM on 03/24/2010

Charge him as an adult!

[Goatsinger]

09:28 AM on 03/24/2010

It's more complex than who's at fault here.

The narratives that are most compelling in film and video games involve action through violence. And many of these are played or watched in a room separate from the rest of the family and so can't be monitored.

Many tv programs aimed at children derive humor through insults. And the computers make it all easily accessed and train the brain to crave abrupt shifts breeding dissatisfaction with anything that can't be immediately mastered -- a desire for easy answers.

Socio-economics may tie into this as well. A rise in unemployment means an almost immediate following rise in alcoholism and drug abuse. That removes parents from the equation.

Gadgets like cell phones pervade our culture but their is no "Miss Manners Guide to Cell Phone Etiquette". Our tech advances faster than our overall social intelligence too much of the time (the automobile was instrumental in the demise of the extended family; the tv removed us from our front porches, closing our doors against our neighbors).

Diet might even figure in. Poor nutrition can contribute to instability.

It's devastating when a child attacks another child this viciously. But it should remind us that we -- AS A SOCIETY -- need to -- ALL OF US -- think more like responsible, loving ADULTS toward the children of our country.

[kmart]

09:57 AM on 03/24/2010

it is not my fault that morons don't know how to raise children ,.

[Waldimore]

10:27 AM on 03/24/2010

Yes... it's complex. But the power still rests in the individual. How many parents give their kids just basic common sense guidance when they gift them with these tech toys? Parents don't even teach their kids manners these days. It's a simple thing to give your child the parameters around cell phone uses and text messaging. This story is a good way to open a dialogue with your kids about what can happen between young people. Make them at least AWARE. I gifted my nieces with small video cameras and I went over a step-by-step list of what images could pose them serious problems if they decide to shoot them with this camera and how they should not take any picture of themselves that they would be ashamed to show to their parents. They are 11. Make kids think! On Nickelodean, a program called iCarly has the most mean-spirited offensive, rude girl character I have ever seen on tv. I've asked my nieces, would they have a friend like that? What do they think of the things she says and does on this show? Make kids think? When watching movies, remove the illusion, don't let them see it as reality. There's so much people can do, but don't.