Shia LaBeouf Look-Alike Sent Barreling Down Subway Stairs
A random dude in New York City just did a big favor for Shia LaBeouf. Last Saturday evening, 26-year-old Mario Licato got punched in the face and sent barreling down the stairs of a Lower East Side subway station. It knocked him out cold, but not before heard a stranger’s voice righteously declare, “This is because you look like fucking Shia LaBeouf.”
The actor is therefore advised to watch his friggin back. Shia LaBeouf, beware: an unknown asshole is prowling the streets of New York seeking vengeance for whatever you did or did not do to him. If he was willing to mess up an innocent stranger’s face just for resembling yours, one can only imagine the bloodbath that would result from your crossing paths.
Aggressive, But Accurate:
There really isn’t any way to justify punching a total stranger in his mug without provocation. Among other things, it is stupid and criminal. However, that isn’t to say that Shia LaBeouf’s arch-nemesis was wrong about one thing — the resemblance between LaBeouf and Mario Licato is truly spot on. He himself acknowledged this in an Instagram posted after the incident:
The fist-flinging enemy of Shia LaBeouf fled the scene before Licato came to, so his identity is still a mystery. Licato remembers laying on the ground at the foot of the stairs, regaining his consciousness as bystanders asked him if he knew who that guy was. He did not.
Witnesses also made a worthy attempt at coming to a consensus on what his attacker looked like, but without pictures or video, words can only go so far. Generally everyone agreed that the man was something like a “6’ to 6’3” white frat boy.”
Even though the attack was unquestionably unjustified, and really sucked for Licato in an obvious way, New York was still New York. According to Licato, the very first EMT to come to his aid told him: “Welcome to New York, buddy.” This was pretty much salt in the wound for Licato since he’s literally lived in the Big Apple for his entire life.
Random Assaults — What Can You Do?
Sadly, there’s not much that Licato could have done differently in terms of bring his assailant to justice. While he was aware that some people thought he looked like Shia LaBeouf, that is not something one should reasonably expect him to have on his mind at any given moment. Plus he didn’t know the guy! Prevention is always the best way to address a potential assault, but only if the victim knows about the assault while it still has potential.
Photos and videos would’ve certainly been helpful. And the blame there kind of falls on the witnesses, although not really, because they had no reason to be camera-ready at the time either. It must have happened very quickly — these things tend to do that — and in a confused, crowded place like a subway station, surprises are all the more surprising. There are probably a lot of white frat boys over 6’ tall in New York City, and honestly, most of them probably also hate Shia LaBeouf.
Without an offender, a victim has a problematic lack of legal recourse. This is unfortunate for Mario Licato, but if you’re reading this, maybe mildly fortunate for you. Remember that in situations of assault, the best gut-response is self-defense. But after that, it’s whipping out that smartphone and snapping pics as fast as your thumb can tap. It’s completely understandable and absolutely not your fault if you fail to realize this ideal plan of action. Just remember that if your assailant is identified, you have a case and you should definitely be proactive about it. All provable crimes should be punished, and the victims compensated.
At Turner Law Offices, P.C., our team of attorneys has years of experience working with clients across a wide range of cases related to criminal assault, both simple and aggravated. Whether you’re the victim of an assault or wrongfully accused, the best course of action is to seek legal representation you trust. Call today, or go online to set up your free initial consultation. The sooner you take action, the higher your chances of reaching a satisfactory resolution.