Teen trained in MMA tackles man with an axe at Florida car wash, captured on video

Incident at Ocala Car Wash

A man in Florida is accused of threatening two teenage brothers with an axe at a car wash in Ocala. The incident happened on a Sunday night while the brothers were closing up. One of them, 18-year-old Leodan Pino, who is trained in mixed martial arts, managed to subdue the attacker.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Bryce Thayer, approached the brothers in a menacing way after being asked to leave. He got angry and pulled out an axe from his backpack.

Pino described the situation, saying, “I locked all the doors and then I heard screaming and someone yelling something… He walks toward the tunnel, and at that moment I tell him, ‘You’ve got to get out, dude, you’ve got to get out.’”

Video footage shows Pino lunging at Thayer and his younger brother assisting in disarming him. “After he went down, I scored a takedown, and then I got on top of him and controlled the situation,” Pino recounted. He used his training to restrain Thayer until the police arrived.

Thayer appeared to have sustained injuries during the struggle, evidenced by visible bruises in a photo shared by the authorities. Pino noted, “He got what he deserved,” emphasizing the need for him to protect himself and his sibling.

The sheriff’s office later arrested Thayer, discovering a glass pipe associated with methamphetamine during the search. He faces two felony charges: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and possession of drug paraphernalia, with bail set at $11,000.

Records indicate that Thayer has a history of multiple arrests in Marion County since May 2024, including charges for possession of a controlled substance and trespassing.

Pino expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to intervene, reflecting on his military training. “I’m grateful that it was me who approached my brother and no one else, because I’m not sure if other colleagues would have done the same thing that I did,” he said, relieved that he could protect his brother during the frightening encounter.