Couple Arrested After Country Club Pickleball Match Turned Into A Brawl Where Man Took A Paddle To The Face
Pickleball isn’t supposed to come with felony charges.
Talk trash on the pickleball court and you could get kicked in the head. That was the message that was sent back in 2024 when a viral video and the man on the receiving end of the head kick leaned into it.
If you thought that physical violence on the pickleball court was only for the young, think again. A couple in Florida in their fifties and sixties are facing charges after allegedly getting into a brawl over the weekend.
An afternoon of pickleball at the Spruce Creek Country Club for Anthony Sapienza, 63, and Julianne Sapienza, 51, ended with them in handcuffs.
They're accused of sparking a physical altercation involving more than a dozen people, according to Click Orlando. There was no kick to the head, but there was a paddle to the face reported during the altercation.
The 911 call from the country club estimated as many as 20 people were involved in the fighting. FOX 35 reports that three people were injured in the brawl.
Three Injured in Country Club Chaos as Alleged Pickleball Paddle to the Head Leads to Charges
The three told deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff's office that they were participating in a match before being assaulted by their opponents. Their opponents were the Sapienzas.
Anthony has been accused of hitting another player with a pickleball paddle in the head. The incident started, according to investigators, after Sapienza allegedly insulted his opponent's wife.
The argument got heated, and before you know it there were more than a dozen people involved. A paddle may have been used as a weapon. We'll let the authorities sort all of that out.
This couple, who you have to give credit to, have activities they enjoy doing together, are facing three felony charges. Two counts of battery on a person 65 years or older and one count of aggravated battery.
They've both bonded out of jail and no mention of an upcoming court date was reported. In the meantime, they'll probably be looking for a new country club to resume their shared interests.