Security Camera Captures Brutal Beating of Army Soldier in Florida

The first punch seemingly comes out of nowhere. The kicks to the head shortly follow. And before you realize it, it's a full on beating.

That describes the brutal attack on an Army soldier in Tampa, FL, in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The soldier, 24-year-old Johnny Aparico, has only lived there for about a month. And he received a rude welcoming when his car broke down at 3 am and he was trying to walk home. WTSP-TV explains:

The attack came when he was walking home and using Iowa St. to get from Westshore to Dale Mabry. At the intersection of Iowa and Renellie Dr., the man came into the view of a neighbor's motion-activated security camera.

A group of three young men is seen walking ahead of the soldier. Police say one of the men in the group doubled back and asked to soldier to borrow a dollar. When the soldier reached for his wallet, the first punch flew.

The first, tremendous sucker punch laid the victim onto the ground. The other two men joined in, punching and kicking the soldier.

A fourth man comes sprinting into view from the left edge of the video. The new attacker -- a man the soldier said he had walked past earlier -- joined in the beating.

You can watch video of the assault below:

The attackers stole the Aparico's wallet and phone, and he had to stumble to several houses nearby to try and get someone to call 911.

"It's shocking," Tampa Police Lt. Mary O'Connor told WTSP. "We need to find out who these individuals are."

So far the assailants are on the loose. They are described as black and Hispanic of medium build.

Now that Aparico -- who's stationed at nearby MacDill Air Force Base, is recovering, his friends are trying to raise money to furnish his apartment, since he arrived with only what he could fit in his car: