Man Touching Self On Beach Threatens To Kill Boca Ocean Rescuer

Ocean Rescuer Alleges Man Exposed Self, Then Threatened To Attack.

BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Boca Raton Ocean Rescue professional saw a man exposing and allegedly playing with his private part on the beach. When he asked the man to put it away and stop, the man allegedly attempted to lunge at him with a knife.

Robert Dean Hart of Lake City is now charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. It happened in the 3000 Block of North Ocean Boulevard on Wednesday.

According to a police report reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com, the Rescuer believed he saw Hart exposing and playing with himself and asked him to stop when Hart, allegedly, became hostile. The Rescuer called his Lieutenant to the scene who spoke with Hart and asked him to leave the beach. While the Lieutenant called 911 to request police assistance, Hart allegedly slapped the cell phone out of his hand. That led the Lt. to push Hart to the ground and restrain him, with help from the Rescuer, until police arrived.

From the police report:

“(The Rescuer) continued to advise that as he was attempting to restrain the defendant, the defendant stated he was going to pull out his pocketknife and attempt to kill him. (The Rescuer) continued to advise that as the defendant was pulling out the pocketknife that was still closed, he was able to grab the knife out of the defendant hand and throw it into the sand and restrain the defendant until police arrived. I then made contact with the defendant who advised that he was sitting on the bench at the above listed location when a worker from Ocean Recue approached him in an aggressive manner and told him to leave.”

“Based on my investigation,” wrote the arresting Boca Raton Police Officer, “Hart committed the act of Aggravated Assault upon the (Ocean Rescuer), did intentionally and unlawfully threaten to do violence to the victim by stating he was going to kill him with a knife which he did have on his person. At the time this occurred the defendant appeared to have the ability to carry out the threat. This specific act of defendant created in the victim a well-founded fear that the violence was about to take place. The assault was made with a deadly weapon more specifically described as a black pocketknife.”

Robert Hart was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail where he remained held on $4,000 bond Saturday morning.