The 68-year-old South Florida woman who was slammed on the ground and tossed into a pool by a teen over the weekend in a shocking incident that was caught on camera is still bruised but said she's moving forward.
Nancy James spoke out Tuesday as the 16-year-old made his first appearance in Broward bond court to face a charge of battery on a person 65 or older.
"It was a very cruel thing that that kid did," James told NBC 6. "I was freaking out, when that kid had lifted me up. It was scary, it was definitely scary because I'm not used to that."
James was still sporting bruises on her arm and legs days after Saturday's incident at the pool party at the Players Place Townhomes on Champions Way in North Lauderdale.
James was walking with her two dogs when she approached partygoers to try to get them to turn their music down. The video posted on social media showed a group gather around her as someone is heard saying "throw her in" in the background.
That's when the teen picks James off the ground and they both fall to the ground. The teen then gets up, grabs James and throws her into the pool while falling in himself.
"When I went in there I wasn't worried about anything, but I guess I walked in to a group of people that just hadn't evolved yet, but that's all I can say and they just have to learn to grow up and join society the way that they should," James said.
One of James' dogs appeared to go into the pool with her.
"They're still scared, poor things," James said.
In 911 calls released Tuesday, callers described the chaos after the teen and James went into the water.
"There's a disaster over here, I don't know what's going on, it's gonna get out of control," one caller said.
"We've been waiting for the cops. Somebody pushed someone in the pool, hurt them and hurt their dog," another caller said.
It appears James also called police just before the pool incident.
"I'm gonna walk my dogs in that direction, I don't know what's going on and I'm scared and chicken," a woman believed to be James says in one of the calls.
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Most of the crowd fled the scene but the teen turned himself in Monday night. He's being charged as a juvenile and will be under house arrest for 21 days.
"Well I feel for his family, I feel for his mom, because I'm a mom also," James said. "I feel for him but there's nothing I can do, he did something wrong, at least he's facing up to it, and hopefully something will help him so he can go back to having a good life as a teenager."
The teen will be allowed to go to school, and his attorney said he's a good student.
"He seems to be very remorseful of the situation, I think he looks forward for the opportunity to address the individual face-to-face and apologize for the incident that's taken place," attorney Paul Molle said. "As the circumstances unfold it'll come out that he's a good young man who has a bright future, is willing to accept responsibility for what's taken place, and is very apologetic."
James said she's just trying to get past the incident now.
"I've been fine, you just work through everything, you don't let the past hold you down," she said. "This is just like a little bump in the road, a pretty big one, you can't let it hold you back."
