A 17-year-old has been arrested in the fight that injured a woman at the Knight Library nightclub near the University of Central Florida, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
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The teen, who the Orlando Sentinel isn’t naming because he has not been charged as an adult, was arrested for felony battery after speaking with deputies Tuesday, an OCSO spokesperson said in a news release. He turns 18 later this month.
Knight Library, a popular nightclub on University Boulevard just minutes from UCF, allows 18-year-olds to enter the premises, though they are not allowed to purchase alcohol. It’s not clear how the teenage suspect was allowed inside, and the business did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The club, which advertises cheap drinks and daily themed nights on its website, is open from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
On Aug. 7, a fight broke out between two men at the club and in the melee one of them punched 19-year-old Olivia Nogueras, who suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed after she was slammed to the floor, her attorney said. In a video posted several days later, Nogueras said she punched one of the men after he punched her in the face, and then she was thrown to the ground.
The sheriff’s office said off-duty deputies were working at the club at the time of the fight, but no reports detailing what they observed have been released.
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Video that circulated on social media showed Nogueras appearing to have a seizure while lying on the club’s dance floor. She was already recovering from a serious head injury as a softball player at Warner College in Polk County that took place last year. After last week’s incident, she spent three days in the ICU and was released Monday night, said Mark NeJame, her attorney, and her mother.
“Besides all that mishap, I’m just blessed to be here today. I’m thankful for the people I have with me,” she said in a video posted on TikTok.
It’s not clear how much the new head injury exacerbated the old one, said NeJame, who was hired to represent Nogueras following the incident.
NeJame previously said his law firm is looking into accusations against Knight Library. He did not immediately respond to the arrest.
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