SPRING HILL, Florida — Two teens with a violent criminal history were arrested Friday night in the baseball bat beating of a Pizza Hut deliveryman they lured to an address with an order for several pies, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office reported.
Devin Politis, 17, of 9178 Century Drive and Benjamin Jablon, 19, of 5004 Crescent Road, were charged with Attempted Murder, Armed Robbery with a Dealy Weapon and Grand Theft Auto.
The victim, Russell Sanford, 21, was in serious condition at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa with severe head and face trauma . He had been in a medically induced coma.
According to investigators, Jablon ordered several pizzas from the Pizza Hut at 2903 Commercial Way, for delivery to 4338 Crescent Road in Spring Hill late Tuesday night. When they arrived, Jablon and Politis struck Sanford in the head several times with a baseball bat, then then robbed him of his money, took the pizzas and fled the scene in his car.
Sanford managed to stagger to the 4000 block of Deltona where employees of the Village Pizza assisted him until paramedics arrived.
Both suspects were taken to the Hernando County jail. Jablon was being held on a bond of $110,000. Politis was to be transferred to a Juvenile Detention Facility, the sheriff's office said.
Jail records show Politis was arrested in 2005 for Grand Theft Auto, and in 2004 for burglary, drug possession and criminal mischief.
Records also show Jablon has been arrested a dozen times since 1994 on charges ranging from grand theft and burglary to aggravated assault, battery and DUI.
