Teen MMA Trainee Subdues Axe-Wielding Attacker at Florida Car Wash

Dramatic surveillance footage has captured the moment a teenage boy used his mixed martial arts training to subdue an axe-wielding maniac in the parking lot of a Florida car wash. The incident unfolded on Sunday night in Ocala, where 18-year-old Leodan Pino and his 16-year-old brother were working.

Confrontation with Armed Assailant

The alleged perpetrator, identified as 36-year-old Bryce Thayer, approached the brothers while wearing a turquoise shirt and carrying a black backpack. Thayer was seen holding a large axe as he staggered menacingly toward the teenagers. Pino, who was locking up the premises, heard screaming and yelling before confronting Thayer.

"He's obviously not in the right state of mind. He walks up to the tunnel, and that's when I tell him, 'You have to leave, man. You got to leave,'" Pino recalled to FOX35.

Swift and Fearless Response

In a blink of an eye, Pino fearlessly lunged toward the armed assailant, utilizing his MMA instincts to execute a rapid takedown. Surveillance footage shows Pino tackling Thayer to the ground while his younger brother swiftly snatched the axe away from the attacker.

"Once he lowered, that's when I shot the take-down, and I got on top of him and I controlled the situation," Pino explained. "Once I realized he wasn't letting go, that's when I threw a couple elbows until he was incapacitated. I got him to his back, put him in a body triangle, held a rear naked choke on him and waited until the cops got there."

Police Response and Job Offer

The Marion County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and was thoroughly impressed by Pino's quick thinking and skilled intervention. Officers were so taken with his actions that they offered Pino a job on the spot. However, the 18-year-old declined the offer as he had already enlisted in the military.

Pino, an MMA-trained military recruit, expressed his relief at being present to protect his brother. "I'm thankful that I was the one closing with my brother and no one else was because I'm not too sure if any other of my coworkers would have done the same thing as I would have," he stated. "I'm just happy that I was able to protect my brother."

Aftermath and Charges

Following the altercation, Pino emerged nearly unscathed with only a minor cut on his arm, while Thayer appeared bloodied and bruised in his subsequent mugshot. During his arrest, Thayer was heard on body camera video shouting that he had not done anything wrong.

Police searched Thayer and discovered a glass pipe used for methamphetamine. Jail records indicate that the 36-year-old was charged with: