Florida never fails to deliver bizarre headlines, but this one may top them all. A 61-year-old Ocala man was arrested after deputies say he deliberately used his home sprinkler system to drench two disabled children waiting for their school bus. The shocking incident ended with the children’s furious father shouting, “Not my children!” a shout that many parents can resonate with, which has hit social media.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Antonio Roman had grown irritated that the family’s wheelchair ramp partially blocked his driveway. Instead of resolving the issue peacefully, deputies say he weaponized his lawn sprinklers. For weeks, Roman allegedly timed his system to spray the children each morning and afternoon as they waited for the bus, shutting it off the moment the bus pulled away.
Outrage in Ocala
Authorities reported that Roman even used surveillance cameras to monitor the family’s schedule, ensuring the sprinklers hit their mark every time. The children’s father told deputies he resorted to wearing “swim clothes” just to shield his kids from the daily soak. Finally, fed up, he confronted Roman and shouted, “Not my children!” a line that instantly struck a nerve with parents online.
Neighbors were horrified. “If the ramp blocks your driveway for a minute, deal with it. Don’t take it out on kids who can’t defend themselves,” one said. Another resident added,
“Only in Florida would sprinklers be turned into weapons.”
Deputies confirmed the setup wasn’t an accident. After conducting surveillance of their own, they witnessed the sprinklers activate precisely as the children reached the bus stop, then shut off as the bus left. Roman later turned himself in and now faces multiple charges, including battery, stalking, and battery on a disabled person.
On TikTok and Twitter, the father’s defiant line “Not my children!” has already been remixed into videos and reaction memes. Hashtags like #FloridaMan and #SprinklerAttack are trending, cementing the event as another entry in the long-running internet lore of wild Florida stories.
While the viral coverage may fade, the seriousness of the charges won’t. For the father who stood in the spray to protect his children, the words he shouted may resonate long after the headlines: a reminder that no parent should have to scream “Not my children!” to defend their kids from a neighbor’s cruelty.
