STUART, Fla. — Stuart residents like Virigna Carboni know how busy the streets can get downtown in the evenings.
"In the evening, I always expect it to be a little more crowded," Carboni said.
It was a typical crowded evening when police said an elderly couple was attacked at the parking lot in front of Stuart City Hall on Jan. 31.
According to police, a couple in their 70s was searching for a parking spot when they saw a man get into his truck. Stuart police said the couple waited a few minutes before asking the driver if he would be leaving. That’s when investigators believe the man got upset and brutally attacked the couple, throwing them to the ground and kicking them.
WATCH: Locals react to elderly couple attacked over a parking spot in downtown Stuart
“[I'm in] disbelief that it would happen in this quiet town of Stuart where it’s always so peaceful,” resident Frank Dobbs said.
This week, police said they found the man they believe is responsible. Mark Swick, 47, was arrested in Port St. Lucie and charged with two counts of battery to a person over 65.
Downtown visitors said it makes them think twice before letting their guard down.
“It can happen anywhere. You know, nothing surprises me," Carboni said. "You just have to always be on guard."
It has people like Dunn adopting an extra sense of awareness in Downtown Stuart.
“I’ll come downtown and I’ll do the things that I would normally do, but I’ve got an awareness about myself that I normally wouldn’t have,” Dunn said.
