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Teen Who Threw Woman Into Pool Gets Probation, Community Service

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- A Broward teen who threw a 68-year-old woman into a pool will serve no time for the incident.

On Tuesday, the state offered the teen probation and 200 hours of community service as part of a plea deal saying the lenient deal was thanks to the victim's compassion.

Sixty-eight-year-old Nancy James spoke during the hearing and said 17-year-old Leon Balfour Joseph needs to learn and that his actions were stupid.

In the same room, Joseph read a letter to the court saying he made a mistake by throwing James into the pool.

Detectives said surveillance tape shows Joseph picking up 68-year-old James. They both fall to the ground. Then he drags her to the pool and tosses her in, all while a crowd cheers.

James is a board member at the Players Place complex in North Lauderdale. She said this happened when the music at an unauthorized social media pool party got too loud. She walked to the pool with her dogs to ask them to turn down the music.

In the video, you can see her leashed pets. One is nearly dragged into the water with her.

During Tuesday's  hearing, the judge did not seem to agree with proposed deal saying the teen should spend time in detention over the incident. The judge believed that if the teen served some time, people would possibly judge the teen less harshly.

After a brief break, the judge agreed to the deal offered by the state. As part of the deal, Joseph will undergo a psychological evaluation and have a curfew. He will also pay for a new phone for James which she lost after being thrown into the pool.

Joseph's mother, Shekita Johnson, turned him into authorities. She works as a supervisor in the 911 call center at the Miami Police Department and comes in contact with a lot of crime stories when she goes to work and says she has special sympathy for victims.

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