ORLANDO, Fla. — A man hit an Epcot employee and threatened to kill him, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Deputies say the employee was trying to enforce Disney World's mask policy.
Enrico Toro, 35, is charged with misdemeanor battery charges. His arrest report says Toro and his family visited the Orlando theme park on August 14. They were stopped at security for not wearing the correct type of masks.
The arrest report goes on to say Toro and his family went back to their car and returned to security, but one of the children in their group still did not have a proper mask. Guests older than 2 are required to wear one at all times, except for when eating, which must be done while stationary.
The report says that's when Toro began cursing and told the guard to call police. Deputies say Toro hit the employee in the head and threatened to kill him.
There have been other violent responses to mask policies this year, three of them happening this month alone.
Three people are charged with attacking a teenage hostess at Chili's in Louisiana on August 9. WWL reports the fight started when the hostess enforced the restaurants policy to not seat groups larger than 6 people at one table. The 17-year-old needed 5 stitches above her eye.
That same day, a couple in New York is also accused of attacking a 17-year-old employee at the Sesame Place amusement park in Pennsylvania. Police say the teen asked the couple to follow the parks mask policies. When the couple saw the employee later that day, the man punched the teen. The 17-year-old needed surgery for a fractured jaw. The man barricaded himself in a home when police moved in to arrest him 10 days later.
Just this past week, sheriff's deputies in South Florida say a 75-year-old man was punched in the chest in a Publix parking lot after he asked a woman to follow social distancing guidelines while in the checkout line.
Many stores, theme parks and airlines are requiring everyone to wear a face covering. There are few exceptions for medical issues or age.
