Male, 21, found guilty of beating up 80-year-old in gym locker room; attacker left victim unconscious, bleeding: Prosecutor

A 21-year-old male has been found guilty of severely beating an 80-year-old in a gym locker room in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Authorities said the attack took place on March 1, 2024, at the YMCA at 28100 Farmington Road near 12 Mile Road, the Detroit News reported.

‘And then I see the guy … he grabs the back of the victim’s head by the hair, and he was about to slam it down on the counter.’

Police received a call about the attack around 10:45 a.m. and found the victim unconscious with severe facial injuries in the men’s locker room, the paper said, adding that medics took the victim to a hospital.

An Oakland County Circuit Court jury on Friday convicted Malik Ali Smith of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, the county prosecutor’s office told the paper.

“The victim was left unconscious and bleeding, and he had to be hospitalized after this assault,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a Monday statement, the paper added. “When we first brought charges, I said this was a vicious, senseless attack, and clearly the jury agreed after looking at the evidence. Their verdict will hopefully provide the victim a measure of justice.”

Smith’s sentencing is scheduled for May 27, the News said, citing court records. Smith faces up to 10 years in prison, the paper also reported.

During Smith’s trial, witnesses and authorities testified that Smith and the victim exchanged words inside the locker room, the News said, citing the county prosecutor.

Former pro football player Braylon Edwards told WDIV-TV he heard the fight escalating.

“I walk into the locker room after work, and I hear some noise about four rows behind me; it was over … someone playing music too loud,” Edwards added to the station. “So I’m not paying attention; it’s none of my business.”

Edwards — a wide receiver who played eight seasons for four NFL teams as well as for the University of Michigan — noted to WDIV that “the noise escalates, and then you can hear some pushing and shoving — you know what fighting sounds like … but once I heard a thud, that’s when I got up and turned around. And then I see the guy … he grabs the back of the victim’s head by the hair, and he was about to slam it down on the counter.”

Edwards pulled Smith away from the 80-year-old, the station said.

Police said the assailant fled before they arrived, but they identified him from the YMCA’s membership records and soon made an arrest, the News reported.

Smith’s attorney, Mitchell Ribitwer, on Monday said he wasn’t willing to comment at this time, the paper added.

You can view WDIV’s 2024 interview with Edwards about the incident here.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!