Video footage going viral on social media shows what appears to be a young Black man being racially profiled and threatened with violence by a group of men who were following and accusing him of simply walking in his own neighborhood in Florida. The individuals involved, identified as Stephen Carega, Steven Burrows, Rob Nobrega, and Jeffrey Gardner, can be seen in the video harassing the young man, accusing him of not belonging in the area despite his repeated assertions that he lived there with his mother.
The victim’s mother later posted the video on TikTok, asking for public support and expressing her relief that the situation didn’t escalate into something even more dangerous. The incident occurred in a residential community in Sarasota, Florida, the morning after Hurricane Milton had swept through, causing widespread power outages.
@qweenie333 TikTok, I really need some help, what you see here is my child being racially profiled, and followed by four grown men all because he was walking around OUR neighborhood… I guess we look like we don’t belong in a upscale neighborhood but Here is a little back story: The morning aftermath of hurricane Milton my son wanted to walk the neighborhood to talk to his girlfriend on his phone, because we didnt have power so his service was bad in the house. THIS is what he had to deal with. Even after telling these men he lives here they we’re not satisfied with his answer and continue to harass him.. this was not a 1 minute altercation, my son was followed for over 10 minutes dealing with this. I am so happy he recorded every moment, and thankful my child is still here. But I need to know how is it OK. I do not want to live in a community that does not welcome me and my children because the color of our skin.#blacktiktok #blacktiktokcommunity #blm #blacklivesmatter #blacktiktok #helpme #isthisok ♬ original sound – WhitneyDiana
In the video, the four men follow the young man down a street, repeatedly implying that he has no right to be in the neighborhood. Despite his calm attempts to explain that he lives there, they continue to trail him. Tensions escalated when one of the men, Stephen Carega, appeared to reach into his car, seemingly attempting to retrieve a gun, before another neighbor intervened and restrained him.
The individuals involved are identified as Stephen Carega, Steven Burrows, Rob Nobrega, and Jeffrey Gardner
The victim’s mother shared the background story in her TikTok post, explaining that her son had gone for a walk to speak with his girlfriend on the phone because their power had been knocked out by the hurricane, causing poor cell service inside their home. She described how her son was followed and harassed for more than 10 minutes by the four men, despite repeatedly telling them he lived in the neighborhood.
@qweenie333 It was at this moment each time I watch this video at the end. I wonder what I still have my son if that man wasn’t there to hold back his other thug member. #blacklivesmatter #blk #helpme ♬ original sound – WhitneyDiana
The mother’s post read:
“The morning after Hurricane Milton, my son wanted to walk the neighborhood to talk to his girlfriend on the phone because we didn’t have power and his service was bad in the house. THIS is what he had to deal with. Even after telling these men he lives here, they were not satisfied with his answer and continued to harass him. This was not a one-minute altercation; my son was followed for over 10 minutes dealing with this. I am so happy he recorded every moment and thankful my child is still here. But I need to know, how is this OK? I do not want to live in a community that does not welcome me and my children because of the color of our skin.”
The video gained significant attention online, and internet sleuths quickly identified Stephen Carega, the man seen reaching into the vehicle, using social media profiles that matched his appearance. Carega’s LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, which were active when the video first surfaced, were deactivated soon after the identification went public.
The situation has drawn comparisons to the tragic case of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was chased and killed by a group of white men in Georgia while he was jogging through a neighborhood in 2020. Thankfully, in this case, the incident did not escalate to such a violent end, but it has still sparked outrage and raised concerns about racial profiling and harassment.
The concept of “walking while Black”—being targeted for simply walking in public spaces—continues to be an issue in many communities. Incidents like these highlight the persistent racial biases that Black people face, even in their own neighborhoods.
