HOA president stole a 12-year-old's bike to teach him 'respect.' Then the Florida cops came calling — for him
The officers did not buy Holmes' side of the story
Does a middle finger from a 12-year-old boy justify a grown man knocking him to the ground? On May 26, 2026, 69-year-old HOA president, Paul Holmes, was arrested after an incident at the Spruce Creek Country Club in Port Orange. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office revealed that Holmes was charged with child abuse and petit theft, as per WKMG News 6. The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. when an unnamed 12-year-old boy saw Holmes making "odd faces" at him for parking his bicycle near the community tennis courts. He showed the man the middle finger before leaving, and that was when things escalated.
Sense of entitlement
The boy had recently moved from Texas to live with his grandfather and was riding his bicycle around the neighborhood. He took a break near the community tennis courts and noticed Holmes giving him dirty looks. As per the Volusia Sheriff's Office's affidavit, "[The boy] stated he noticed a male, later identified as Paul Holmes, staring at him and making an odd facial expression. [He] stated he then decided to leave and raised his middle finger toward Paul."
'Do you know who I am?'
Instead of letting it go or explaining to the child why he shouldn't flash people the middle finger, Holmes escalated it to a high-level HOA emergency. The boy reported that Holmes approached him, pushed him to the ground, and aggressively asked him, "Do you know who I am? I’m the president of the HOA."
Pretending to be a 'Good Samaritan'
Holmes also reportedly took the boy's bicycle, hauled it into his car, and drove away with it. While Holmes was still down the street, the boy ran and told his grandfather what had happened. When he confronted Holmes, the HOA president allegedly refused to give back the bicycle. Deputies were called, and when they arrived, they questioned Holmes.
Holmes' side of the story was different. He told the deputies that he was just asking the boy if he lived in the area, which made him run away, leaving his bicycle behind. Holmes, being a "good Samaritan," took the bike to community security, as per Tampa Free Press. However, the officers did not buy Holmes' story. They refused to believe that the boy would abandon his bicycle when he could have escaped faster on it, rather than on foot. Additionally, Holmes also denied pushing the boy to the ground. However, upon finding red marks on the boy's arms, officers knew Holmes had assaulted the boy.
HOAs in Florida
HOAs are a controversial topic for many. Some support the work they do, while others believe they are too restrictive. Mark Anderson, the Executive Director of the Chief Executive Officers of Management Companies, said, "The idea of abolishing HOAs may have made a few headlines, [but] these numbers reflect a very different reality for the people who live in them," in reference to the poll regarding the elimination of HOAs in Florida.
The survey revealed that 80% of the residents approve of neighborhoods having an HOA. Additionally, 70% of the respondents believe that removing HOAs would increase neighbor disputes and cause more issues regarding the maintenance of common areas and protecting property values. Anderson added, "This poll makes it crystal clear: Floridians increasingly value their HOAs and the quality of life they provide... homeowners see their HOAs as essential to maintaining property values, resolving disputes, and keeping taxes low."
Holmes was arrested and kept in Volusia County Jail before he was released on bond. He will have to appear in court for his arraignment on June 23. Holmes' action caused a stir in the comment section, with many proposing that HOAs should be disbanded. @JohnChewuk wrote, "This is why HOA needs to go away. They make money off of us, so they don't have to work and be jack*sses." @timchamberlin9280 commented, "Fly in is a super-rich community. He has money. Sue him and take it from him."
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