A man wielding an ax in Florida reportedly charged at two teenage brothers as they were closing a car wash in Ocala on Sunday night. The older brother, an 18-year-old military recruit with MMA training named Leodan Pino, swiftly subdued the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Bryce Thayer.
Video footage released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office captured Thayer approaching the car wash workers, Leodan Pino and his 16-year-old brother, as they were shutting down for the evening. When asked to leave the property, Thayer became agitated and advanced towards the brothers in a threatening manner while brandishing the ax.
“I was locking up all the doors, and I heard some screaming, someone yelling something,” Pino recounted to FOX 35 Orlando. “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 described the moment when Thayer revealed the ax clipped to his backpack and pointed it at him. Pino reacted by swiftly disarming Thayer, with his younger brother assisting in the intervention.
Pino, utilizing his MMA skills, managed to bring Thayer to the ground and control the situation effectively. “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.”
Thayer’s mugshot displayed significant bruising on his face, indicative of the struggle during the altercation. Following his arrest, a search uncovered a glass pipe used for methamphetamine in his possession, as per the sheriff’s office.
Thayer faces charges of two counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and possession of drug paraphernalia, with bail set at $11,000. Jail records revealed Thayer had been arrested multiple times by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office since May 2024 on various charges, including drug-related offenses and property damage.
Pino, reflecting on the incident, expressed gratitude for the opportunity and strength to manage the situation. “I’m thankful that I was the one closing on 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.”
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