Victim’s mom sees injustice in sentence

Hearing set for today in wine-bottle attack

LEESBURG — A sentencing hearing has been set for today for a Beacon College student accused of brutally attacking a homeless man with a wine bottle, according to the Lake County Clerk of Court office.

Thomas E. Foorman, 25, initially was slated to stand trial May 30 on the aggravated battery with a weapon charge from last year in the Leesburg attack that left the face of Juan Rodriguez completely covered in blood and swollen.

According to the mother of the victim, Isabel Tamayo, she was told by prosecutors on Friday that Foorman will be sentenced to probation in a plea deal.

“I'm just dumbfounded, this just breaks my heart,” said Tamayo. “This is not justice.”

Tamayo said prosecutors initially told her that Foorman was going to get 15 years on the charge, but mental issues and him being placed in a mental institution led prosecutors to go with probation.

Walter Forgie, supervisor and spokesman for the State Attorney's Office in Lake County, said he was out of town and couldn't comment on the case until today when asked about the case late Friday afternoon.

But Clerk of Court officials said the May 30 trial date for Foorman had been cancelled and a sentencing hearing was scheduled for today.

According to an arrest affidavit, the attack took place on May 1, 2016 outside of Come as You Are Ministries on Griffin Road in Leesburg where responding police found blood splattered on the walls, a pool of blood on the ground and a blood-covered bottle