In yet another backyard brawl including fully-grown adults taking on children with fishing poles, a Florida man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting two children. According to reports, the two kids, aged 12 and 14, were fishing in a neighborhood pond behind his home just before the violent altercation took place.
The incident took place last Wednesday around 6:45 p.m. in the Riverstone Preserve neighborhood, where Aiden Minkov (12) and Alexis Disabato (14) were fishing in a pond managed by the Riverstone Homeowners Association. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, 70-year-old Daniel Lukas confronted the children, yelling at them while ordering them to "get off his property." He allegedly chased them down the street to a neighboring driveway, where he pushed Aiden and grabbed him by the back of his neck. Fortunately, Alexis was able to capture the incident on her cell phone, providing critical evidence for authorities.
A second confrontation reportedly occurred when another individual, possibly Lukas’ wife or friend, grabbed Alexis by the shoulders, shook her, and threw her phone to the ground after she recorded the initial assault. The sheriff’s office later determined Lukas was the "primary aggressor" and charged him with one count of battery. He was then booked into the Collier County Jail but has since been released on bond.
The pond in question is part of a community with multiple lakes open to fishing, managed by the Riverstone HOA. The HOA’s rules permit residents and their guests to engage in catch-and-release fishing, but access for non-lakefront lot owners requires an easement.
Aiden, a resident of the neighborhood, stated that he had fished other ponds in the community without issue and was tipped off about this particular pond by a friend. Aiden’s parents, Max and Carolyn Minkov, expressed deep concern over the incident. Max described the video of the assault as "heartbreaking," noting that despite Aiden’s size, he is still a child. Carolyn criticized Lukas’ actions as "not very neighborly," emphasizing the expectation of civility within the community.
“As a parent, watching a video [of] your son getting assaulted for fishing is, it’s pretty heartbreaking,” Max said. “He’s a big kid and everything, but he’s still a child. I mean, he’s 12 years old … that’s just, you don’t do that.”
The incident has left the children shaken, but is unfortunately nothing new in the canals and lakeside communities that make up much of Florida’s residential neighborhoods. Similar confrontations have occurred in other parts of the state, including a 2024 case where a Florida HOA president allegedly pulled a gun on kids for fishing in a neighborhood lake. These events, which seem to be piling up, highlight the friction between property owners, HOA regulations, and anglers - particularly young ones - seeking to enjoy community resources.
As of right now, it remains unclear whether the children had proper access or violated HOA regulations, as the HOA property manager declined to comment when contacted by news outlets.
