HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Frank Penkava walked over to his neighbors’ apartment to ask that they turn their loud music down. Instead of doing that, a group attacked him. It has been more than a month since the savage beating and he remained unstable Tuesday at Memorial Regional Hospital.
Doctors need Penkava, 42, to be stable so they can perform a surgery he needs to deal with one of the injuries from the June 13 beating in Hollywood. His mother, Joan Penkava, said her only son has a three-year-old boy who is waiting for him to recover.
“My son has a little boy. He is going to be 4 years old, He is beautiful and he may never know his dad,” Penkava said. “We don’t know what damage has been done mentally, let alone all of the physical issues he has. It’s very disheartening.”
Doctors are also probing his brain activity to check on possible permanent brain damage. Gina Horvath, Penkava’s sister, said he has multiple broken bones and he contracted an infection at the hospital. He still has bruising and swelling and he is in pain.
“He continues to fight every day but he’s very, very sick,” she said.
His family is eager to have Hollywood Police Department detectives arrest the men who did this to him.
The family has a GoFundMe page asking the public to help Penkava with the medical bills that are piling up. They are also asking anyone with information about the case to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954- 493-8477.
Transcript of Penkava’s 911 call after the beating
Dispatcher: Tell me exactly what happened.
Penkava: I got in a fight.
Dispatcher: Okay, are you hurt?
Penkava: I need help. I am bleeding a lot.
Dispatcher: Which neighbors? Do you have an address?
Penkava: The neighbors?
Dispatcher: Yeah
Penkava: They are next door.
Penkava: *gasping in pain*
Dispatcher: Hang in there. They are on their way.
*Officers knock on the door*
Officer: Where’s the guy that did this to you?
Penkava: There’s a couple of them over there.