Last of 12 teens involved in beating near Pitbull’s Miami school arrested, police say

The last of 12 teens allegedly involved in beating two others near Pitbull’s Miami charter school was arrested, police announced Thursday.

The only adult, an 18-year-old, was identified as Diego Jones, a Hollywood resident facing two counts of battery for his alleged involvement. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Miami court after he was ordered to stay away from the teens who were beat up.

The Miami Herald is not naming the other suspects — ages 14 to 17 — because they are minors. The last of the 12 teens was arrested Monday.

Neither the school nor Jones’s attorney immediately responded to the Herald’s request for comment.

Around 3 p.m. April 18, Miami police officers rushed to 1126 NW Fifth St. in Little Havana after receiving a call about a large fight. When the officers arrived, the crowd dispersed, leaving behind two teenage boys under 18 badly hurt. The pair were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The beating, police say, was captured on security cameras of SLAM! Miami, 542 NW 12th Ave., a 6-12 sports management focused charter school founded by Miami rapper Pitbull, also known as Armando Christian Pérez.A school administrator identified each student the next day. Those who attended school the next day were taken out of class until parents and officers arrived.

One of the teens detained, a 17-year-old boy, told officers the group was waiting for the two boys after school to confront them about incidents that had occurred throughout the day, according to his arrest report. When the group spotted the pair on Northwest 12th Avenue and Fifth Street, the 17-year-old said they walked toward them before punching and kicking them.

One of the teens who was beaten up told police he was walking with the other victim when a group of boys got out of several cars and walked towards them. The teen said that a boy he knew punched him in the face, causing him to fall. Once down, the rest of the teens beat him up until he lost consciousness. The next thing he remembers is being inside an ambulance, he said.

The beat-up teen told police he did not remember anything because of the concussion he suffered. Officers said he had a stitched laceration on his right ear.

Other students involved in the beating, police said, were interviewed April 24 because they did not go to school the day after the incident.

While some students confessed to taking part in the beating, others refused to speak to the cops, according to police.

Many of the accused teens were arrested April 24 but the last one was put in handcuffs Monday.

Eleven of 12 teens face one count of battery but a 17-year-old Miami Beach resident was charged with battery with a deadly weapon.

Jones was released from jail April 26 on a $2,500 bond, court records show.