SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. – A candidate for the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission attended a city council meeting for the first time Thursday since he was arrested earlier this month.
That candidate, George Bardmesser, is accused of attacking two teenagers at a campaign event earlier this month in an incident that was caught on camera.
On Thursday, Bardmesser was testy from the start when Local 10 News’ Rosh Lowe approached him right after the public meeting.
“Do I know you?” he asked Lowe.
When asked if he wanted to speak about what happened, Bardmesser said, “Not right now.”
Bardmesser, an attorney, was slapped with two child abuse charges after he was accused of putting a teen in a chokehold and then slapping another teen, as seen in surveillance video taken on the day of the incident.
The drama unfolded at a restaurant in Sunny Isles where Bardmesser was holding a campaign event.
Current Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Fabiola Stuyvesant, a political opponent, was also at the event with her own kids and the pair of teens who were attacked that were wearing her campaign shirts.
Cellphone video showed Bardmesser being hauled away in handcuffs.
“When he was choking my friend, he let go of my friend and he slapped me in my face,” one of the teens told Local 10.
Bardmesser was even testy at times with the judge during his bond court arraignment, but was allowed to bail out of jail shortly after.
As for Thursday night, Bardmesser decided to show up to the city commission meeting as a resident but never addressed the commission where Stuyvesent was front and center.
It appears we may never get Bardmesser’s side of things.
Stuyvesant was asked by Lowe if she feels Bardmesser should have given his side of what happened and offer some kind of explanation.
“Clearly, yes, but maybe his side of the story is not a good one, so he had nothing to say,” she said.
Friday at 4 p.m. was the deadline for candidates to submit their paperwork and Local 10 News confirmed that Bardmesser is still running in the race.