MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – A Marion County court has sentenced Vincent Paul Gaudio, 50, and his son William Trent Gaudio, 18, to lengthy prison terms following their September conviction for aggravated battery with great bodily harm and witness tampering.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office says that incident happened at the Circle K on N. Williams St. (SR-41) in Dunnellon, where the father and son ambushed a cyclist coming out of a wooded trail. They say that William knocked the victim off his bicycle, after which both defendants repeatedly struck the victim’s head and chest. When the victim attempted to call 911, they say that the Gaudios destroyed the phone.
The victim suffered severe injuries, including:
- A fractured orbital bone
- Eye hemorrhaging
- Facial swelling
- Lip hematoma
“The victim in this case was targeted and brutally attacked by the defendants,” stated State Attorney Bill Gladson.
The court sentenced Vincent Gaudio to 15 years and William Gaudio to 20 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.
The case, investigated by Dunnellon Police Department and successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Tucker O’Neill, concluded with sentences that prosecutors say reflect the attack’s severity and ensure justice for the victim.