Parkland Business Owner Punched, Left Unconscious in Dispute Over Parking Spaces

by Kevin Deutsch October 19, 2022

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Parkland Business Owner Punched, Left Unconscious in Dispute Over Parking Spaces

Ray Batista {BSO}

By Kevin Deutsch

A man who repeatedly parked in spaces reserved for a Parkland business punched out the business owner during a confrontation over the spots, causing the victim to hit his head on the concrete and lose consciousness, court records show.

Ray Batista, 41, of 3722 NW 115th Way in Coral Springs, became enraged at the business owner after the man placed a warning sign on Batista’s vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said that Batista had repeatedly parked in spaces reserved and marked as designated for the victim’s business, located on North State Road 7.

When the business owner confronted Batista on Oct. 5 at 11:15 a.m. to discuss the parking issue, Batista walked up to the man—whose hands were in his pockets—and punched him in the face, records show.

The victim, whose name and business were redacted by BSO, fell backward and struck his head on the concrete, the affidavit states.

“Due to the violent strike to the face and the victim’s head making direct contact with the pavement, the victim lost consciousness,” Parkland District deputies wrote in the report.

Members of the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department took the business owner to Broward Health Coral Springs, where he spent 48 hours undergoing medical evaluation, records show.

According to BSO, Batista was identified as the attacker by a witness who had known him for over six months. Batista was identified during two double-blind photo arrays conducted by investigators, the affidavit states.

Both the verbal confrontation and battery were captured by a security camera, records show.

On Oct. 13, eight days after the crime, Batista turned himself in at BSO’s Parkland District headquarters with the cooperation of his attorney, according to BSO. The attorney’s name was not listed in court records filed as of Wednesday morning.

Batista was booked into the Broward County Main Jail on a battery charge and released on a $2,000 bond.

A Broward County magistrate barred Batista from any contact with the business owner.

Records show Batista has had previous arrests on charges that include battery and delivering cocaine. The outcome of those cases was not immediately clear Wednesday.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.